The LSU-Florida spread weirdly shifted, and then the Gators covered in a loss

LSU beat Florida on Saturday in Gainesville by a point, 17-16.

At most sportsbooks, the Tigers were favored by 1 or 1.5 points. That’s weird, because when odds came out for the game during the weekend prior, UF was favored by about a touchdown at most places. The line shifted hard toward LSU in the days and hours before kickoff.

Here was the line history at the Wynn Las Vegas, via Odds Shark:

It’s conventional wisdom that being the home team (Florida, in this case) is worth about three points on a gambling line. Because the odds came out just a day after LSU lost at home to the Sun Belt’s Troy Trojans, maybe the experts were just really down on the Tigers when betting opened. The line was down to Florida -4 by Monday, and it only kept creeping toward LSU after that. Suddenly, the Gators were home underdogs.

It looks like most betting public was putting its money on Florida, but the people putting serious money on the game — likely more professional gamblers — thought LSU would cover. There was a lot more actual money on the Tigers.

Florida lost the game but ultimately covered a 1.5-point spread deficit. It’s one of the whackier spread coverings of recent times. That’s no solace to the Gators, but it’s a hell of a solace to anybody who put money on them in the hours right before kickoff.