We are nearing the end of the college football season, and despite some COVID issues, teams continue to play games. We have all the Tennessee schools on the college football betting schedule this week, including an SEC battle between Tennessee and Vanderbilt, which will make for some great college football betting picks. Let’s go over this week’s CFB odds for the Tennessee schools and make some CFB picks.
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College Football Betting: Tennessee CFB Odds, Picks + Best Bets
CFB Schedule: Saturday
- Tennessee at Vanderbilt: 4 p.m. EST, Tennessee -15 O/U 50
- Houston at Memphis: 3:30 p.m. EST, Memphis +5 O/U 62.5
- UAB at Middle Tennessee St: Cancelled due to COVID
CFB Matchup: Tennessee vs. Vanderbilt
This is an SEC East Battle between two teams that could really use a win. Tennessee comes in 2-6 having dropped six straight, including last week’s 12-point loss at Florida. They haven’t score more than 21 points in any of the six losses, and that is putting a ton of pressure on this defense. Tennessee is still searching for stability at quarterback, and last week both Harrison Bailey and J.T. Shrout got their chances, with each topping 100 yards and throwing a touchdown. I expect more of the same here, and this is a much better spot considering the opponent.
Vanderbilt is having an even tougher year at 0-8 and looking to avoid a winless 2020 season. They decided to make a change at head coach, as Derek Mason was let go. One positive is they are breaking in a freshman quarterback in Ken Seals, so the future is at least bright for the Commodores. Last week’s game against Georgia got canceled, but before that they lost 41-0 to Missouri, which prompted the shakeups within the program. In this rivalry game, Vanderbilt will hope to at least make it a game and possibly have something to take away from a lost season.
On the betting side, Tennessee is a 15-point favorite with a game total of just 50, so points may be at a premium for Vanderbilt. Though I believe Seals could be a quality starter down the line, this team just has no signs of life, as we saw last time out in a 41-0 loss. Even though Tennessee has lost six straight, they have been competitive in games against quality opponents, and that should translate into a relatively easy win this week.
Best Bet: Tennessee -15
CFB Matchup: Houston at Memphis
This game has been juggled around the schedule all season, but this Saturday we finally get to see Houston and Memphis square off. Both teams have had some positives to take away from 2020, and ending the season on a high note would be some nice momentum heading into bowl season.
Houston is 3-3 on the season, but they haven’t played since Nov. 14 due to multiple cancellations. When they are on the field, quarterback Clayton Tune leads a high-powered offense with several threats on the outside. Wide receiver Marquez Stevenson is the top option, but he hasn’t played in the last two games due to an ankle and remains questionable. The Cougar offense comes in averaging 33.2 points per game, and this could easily be a back-and-forth shootout. Their stats show them to be a relatively balanced team with no glaring weaknesses. The one area that they need to improve is penalties, as they have had way too many flags at north of eight per game. That ranks 116th in the country and has been a pain point all season.
Memphis is 6-3 on the season, and despite some opt-outs, they have a high-powered offense as well. Senior quarterback Brady White has 26 touchdowns on the season and brings stability and leadership in what will be his final regular-season game. Memphis is averaging 28.8 points per game, but the way they get it done is a little different than the balanced Houston attack. They are averaging 40 passes per game, which is 13th in the country, and they throw for over 320 yards per game. The Tigers don’t look to run the ball much except to bleed clock late or as a change of pace within drives. White once again is going to be busy, and in a game where they are a slight underdog, he could have upwards of 50 passing attempts.
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Defensively, Memphis has been stout against the run, but the secondary has struggled all season. They are allowing 8.6 yards per pass, which is 110th in the country. and that is an area of concern against a high-powered Houston offense. Winning that battle on the outside would go a long way to winning, and if not, we could see Houston’s passing game put up a ton of points.
The spread has Memphis as a 5-point home dog, which feels about right, and the over/under is 62.5. Even though that’s a lot of points, I am going to lean towards the over here, as both offenses have the advantage and Memphis loves to throw the ball even in neutral game scripts. With strong playmakers on both sidelines, we could see a handful of explosive plays, and I could see both teams hanging 30 in this season finale.
Best Bet: Over 62.5
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