If you talk to old-school SEC fans in Tuscaloosa and Knoxville, they’ll tell you the third weekend in October is marked on their calendars.
Tennessee and Alabama’s rivalry goes back to the days of Bear Bryant and Johnny Majors that is set in the lure of SEC history, and it could begin a new chapter as these undefeated teams meet in a top-10 battle.
With that, let’s break down the odds to formulate our Alabama vs. Tennessee predictions and best bets for Saturday, Oct. 15.
Alabama vs. Tennessee Odds
| Team | Spread | Moneyline | Total |
|---|---|---|---|
| Alabama | -7.5 (-110) | +280 | O 66 (-110) |
| @ Tennessee | +7.5 (-110) | +235 | U 66 (-110) |
Odds via Betway as of 9 p.m. ET as of Oct. 11
Game Info
- Date: Saturday, Oct. 15
- Time: 3:30 p.m. ET
- Location: Neyland Stadium – Knoxville, TN
- TV: CBS
Alabama vs. Tennessee Trends
- Alabama is 6-0 this season (4-2 against the spread).
- Tennessee is 5-0 this season (4-1 against the spread).
- The Over is 13-4 in Tennessee’s last 17 games.
- The Over is 9-1 in Tennessee’s last 10 home games.
- Alabama is 5-6 against the spread in its 11 road games against SEC opponents.
- The Over is 6-4-1 in Alabama’s last 11 road games against SEC opponents.
- As of Tuesday, DraftKings reports that 78% of the spread bets and 83% of the handle are on Tennessee.
- For the total, 52% of the bets and 62% of the handle are on the Over
Alabama Offense Without Bryce Young Looks Lackluster
Alabama escaped an upset last week as Texas A&M had a chance to win with one play on Bama’s two-yard line.
The Tide’s run game was excellent, with RB Jahmyr Gibbs rushing for 7.3 yards per carry. The pass rush was incredible well, with three sacks, six tackles for a loss, and 19 quarterback pressures.
The difference was no Bryce Young, as he missed the game due to a shoulder injury. Backup QB Jalen Milroe was excellent with his legs but could not move the ball through the air, giving the ball away three times, resulting in 17 points for the Aggies.
We assume they rested Young for this week, especially because he was dressed and went through warmups last Saturday.
The Tide cannot get away with that type of offensive performance this week.
Tennessee Offense Continues To Light Up The Scoreboard
There is no offense Alabama has seen yet and possibly will see that’s better than Tennessee’s. They are the second-best scoring offense in the nation (46.8 PPG), and fifth-year senior quarterback Hendon Hooker is a Heisman Trophy candidate with the seventh-best passing efficiency in the FBS (179.9). The team was able to put up 78 points in the last two games, and that’s without their best receiver, Cedric Tillman. The good news is that he’s trending toward coming back this week.
The defense had a great game last week against a formable opponent in LSU, as they allowed just 52 rushing yards. They have a much tougher task of holding Gibbs and Young if he plays.
This has a chance to live up to the hype with offensive weapons on both sides of the ball and each team’s ability to put up points.
Despite the excellent performance by Tennessee, the Bama defense is better. They maintained pressure last week with just a three-man rush of Will Anderson Jr., Dallas Turner, and Jaylen Moody, three of the best in the country. Hooker could be in for a rough day if they can get that pressure without blitzing.
Alabama vs. Tennessee Predictions
If Bryce Young plays, this has the chance to be a shootout, and although this isn’t the most talented Alabama wide receiver corps, they can exploit the Tennessee secondary.
I’m not touching the spread with an Alabama game. Remember the Tide’s last road game against Arkansas? Bettors went heavy on the Razorbacks to cover and look what happened. I’ll take the over.
Pick: Over 65 total points | -110 at Betway Sportsbook
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