A fun slate of Friday college football action kicks off with the 8-4 Clemson Tigers of the ACC tussling with the 7-5 Kentucky Wildcats of the SEC in the 2023 TaxSlayer Gator Bowl.
Both teams lost their bowl game a year ago, so which team can end the season with a win this time around? Ahead of the game, we’ve got the latest college football betting odds, DFS picks, and a Gator Bowl prediction.
Gator Bowl Betting and DFS Preview
All odds are from DraftKings Sportsbook and correct as of Wednesday, Dec. 27, 2023. Want to take advantage of the Gator Bowl odds? Visit the College Football Network live college football odds page to place bets in your state.
- Spread
Clemson -5 - Moneyline
Clemson -205, Kentucky +170 - Over/Under
46 points - Game time
Noon ET - Location
EverBank Stadium, Jacksonville, FL - Predicted Weather at Kick
56 degrees, 13 mph winds, sunny - How to Watch
ESPN, FuboTV
Looking to cash in on Clemson? Will the Wildcats win you some money from Friday’s college football action? If you’re going to take advantage of the Gator Bowl odds, consider some of the following factors before you part with your hard-earned cash.
The last three meetings between these two teams have come during bowl season, with Clemson winning in the Music City Bowl in 2009 to come within three wins of the Wildcats in the all-time head-to-head. As the Gator Bowl odds favorite, Dabo Swinney’s team should bring that gap down to two games with a win on Friday afternoon.
Kentucky is 1-4 outright as an underdog this season, with the same record against the spread. Meanwhile, Clemson is 6-3 outright as a favorite but only 5-5 covering the spread when they’ve been fancied to win. However, as part of their current four-game win streak, the Tigers have covered each game, including the last three as the spread favorite.
Offense hasn’t always been easy to come by for both teams this season. Yet, between them, they’ve averaged 57.8 points. Although Clemson’s defense might ultimately have a say on whether the game comes over the 46-point line, there is the potential for it to do so. Kentucky games have surpassed the points line eight times this season
Top DFS Picks and Fantasy Plays
Clemson Depth Chart | Kentucky Depth Chart
- QB Cade Klubnik, Clemson
- QB Devin Leary, Kentucky
- RB Will Shipley, Clemson
- RB Phil Mafah, Clemson
- RB Keith Adams Jr, Clemson
- RB Ray Davis, Kentucky
- RB JuTahn McClain, Kentucky
- RB Demie Sumo-Karngbaye, Kentucky
- WR Troy Stellato, Clemson
- WR Tyler Brown, Clemson
- WR Adam Randall, Clemson
- WR Antonio Williams, Clemson
- WR Tayvion Robinson, Kentucky
- WR Dane Key, Kentucky
- WR Barion Brown, Kentucky
- TE Jake Briningstool, Clemson
- TE Brenden Bates, Kentucky
- TE Jordan Dingle, Kentucky
There are four college football games on Friday to compile your DFS team from. If you’re new to DFS, Fanduel Superflex contests require you to select a quarterback, two running backs, three wide receivers, and a “Superflex” that can be any of the above or a tight end.
Of the four bowl games on Friday, only two of them will have both teams starting their regular quarterback, with this game being one of them. Should your Gator Bowl picks include the position? Probably not, but if you’re going to invest then Cade Klubnik is the better of the two options, showcasing some flashes of fantasy relevance down the stretch of the season.
MORE: College Football Bowl Game Opt-Out Tracker
However, Kentucky running back Ray Davis is the truly fantasy-relevant player lining up in the Gator Bowl. The former Vanderbilt rusher has been the force of the Wildcats’ offense this year, tallying 1,066 yards and 13 touchdowns rushing, adding 317 yards and seven touchdowns, and acting as a receiver out of the backfield. The result? 258.3 fantasy points this year. Stud.
Clemson running backs Phil Mafah and Will Shipley have been the key contributors from a fantasy perspective, and between the two teams, there isn’t a real viable pass-catching option for your DFS lineup. If you have to dig deep, your Gator Bowl picks could include Dane Key, who scored a touchdown in three of his last five and is averaging 14.6 yards per catch in the 2023 season.
Prediction for the Gator Bowl
Okay, so we’ve furnished you with the Gator Bowl odds and some DFS picks. Now, it’s time to close this thing out with our prediction.
It’s been a difficult season for Clemson, but can they end the year on a high? Or will Kentucky, fresh from keeping head coach Mark Stoops in town, add a second eight-win season to his résumé with the Wildcats?
After rattling off five wins to start the season — including two in the conference — the SEC schedule proved too much of a gauntlet for Kentucky. They failed to get a win in October, with victories over Mississippi State and Louisville book-ending two more SEC defeats in November.
Although the return of offensive coordinator Liam Coen facilitated a jump of over eight points in scoring compared to last season, the Wildcats still ranked outside the top 50 nationally for offense. If it wasn’t for running back Davis, they could have been even further down the field than the 57th-ranked unit. The defense ranked the same after giving up 30+ points five times in 2023.
Having suffered some offensive struggles this season, Clemson finished the regular season ranked just one position ahead of Kentucky for offensive scoring, averaging 29.2 points through the year. It took a minute for Klubnik and the rest of the offense to get on board with new offensive coordinator Garrett Riley, but it started to come together down the stretch.
The difference between these two teams could come down to defense. Averaging just 19.9 points allowed this year, Clemson might be without some key contributors — such as star safety Andrew Maukuba — but they have some blossoming young disruptors from front to back that can cause some problems for Kentucky. The Tigers carry their run of form into 2024.
Prediction: Clemson 30, Kentucky 23
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