The Gasparilla Bowl is an annual NCAA-sanctioned post-season college football bowl game played in the Tampa Bay Area. It was first played in 2008 as the St. Petersburg Bowl at Tropicana Field in St. Petersburg, Florida.

Teams:  Central Florida (AAC) 12-1 / Marshall (C-USA) 8-4

Bowl Location: Tampa, FL

Day, Date & Time: Monday, December, 23, 2019, 2:30 EST

Network: ESPN

Best Win(s): UCF: beat FAU (10-3) 48-14 ; Marshall: beat FAU (10-3), 36-31.

Worst Loss(es): UCF lost to Tulsa (4-8), 34-31; Marshall lost to Middle Tennessee (4-8) 24-13! 

Common Opponents: FAU & Cincinnati: UCF beat FAU, 48-14 & lost to Cincy, 27-24;  Marshall beat FAU, 36-31 & Lost to Cincy, 52-14!

Vegas Hot$heets Favorite: Central Florida (UCF) -17.5 (All lines are opening lines & all recommend picks are based on opening lines)

Sully’s CFP Game Simulator is a statistical analysis / predictor of how these teams will preform, based solely on their numbers, when they face off on the gridiron! Keep in mind, these stats were established against different teams and conferences and these differences must be taken into account to get a complete picture when attempting to predetermine a winner. If you are interested in how the Simulator works … read this part … if not … skip it! The process used is, say Notre Dame is playing Wisconsin … we take ND’s total yards on offense, add it to the number the Badgers give up on defense, we get a total and then divide the total by 2 to get an average. We then invert the process, we now take Wisconsin’s total offense, add it to what the Irish give up on defense, get a 2nd total, and then divide that number by 2, to get the second average! The greater number (with the exception of Turnovers, lower # wins) is then determined to have the advantage ( please note …. statistical advantage). We repeat this process in each of the eight statistical categories assessed: 1) Total Yards, 2) Rushing, 3) Passing, 4) Scoring, 5) 3rd Down (Conversions /Stops), 6) Turnovers, 7) Red Zone Scores (TD’s & FG), & 8) Red Zone TD’s (only TD’s)!  That said… here are the results of the Head to Head Analysis:

These teams have met 4 times since 2009, UCF has won all four games (2009, 21-20; 2010, 34-14; 2011, 16-6; 2012, 54-17)

The Game Simulator likes UCF to control this game statistically, a 6-2 advantage. The run game, 3rd down, and half of the RZ (Scoring TD’s) all favor the Knights!

Sully Says: Take UCF to the bank on this one, Marshall will we be in with better Athletes, higher skill levels, and a team that is out to prove they are the best squad in the G5 ranks!