Georgia vs. Tennessee Odds and Picks
On Saturday, September 13th, the Tennessee Volunteers host the Georgia Bulldogs at Neyland Stadium in Knoxville, Tennessee. All year, we’re going to be diving into some of the biggest college football games of the season, and this one isn’t any different. With that in mind, keep reading for betting odds and picks for this exciting showdown. Also, make sure you head over to our Week 3 College Football Betting Hub for a look at all of our college football betting content.
MORE: Head to the Pro Picks page for best bets from all of our VSiN hosts and analysts!
How to Watch Georgia vs. Tennessee
Where: Neyland Stadium in Knoxville, Tennessee
When: Saturday, September 13th at 3:30 pm ET
Channel: ABC
Georgia vs. Tennessee Odds
Odds from DraftKings Sportsbook accurate as of Wednesday, September 10th. Look around for the best prices!
Moneyline: Georgia -175, Tennessee +145
Spread: Georgia -3.5 (-110), Tennessee +3.5 (-110)
Total: Over 49.5 (-110), Under 49.5 (-110)
Georgia vs. Tennessee Analysis
There’s some uncertainty surrounding Georgia offensive linemen Earnest Greene and Juan Gaston, and that could have something to do with the line in this game dropping from Bulldogs -7 to Bulldogs -3.5. That movement could also have to do with sharp action on the home team, so I’d suggest keeping tabs on our VSiN betting splits and looking out for Josh Appelbaum’s work this week.
Tennessee actually has some injury problems too, so this isn’t exactly a fresh, full-strength squad going up against a depleted opponent. However, even putting the injury report aside, there are some real reasons to look to the Volunteers here.
It’s just hard to put blind faith in an unproven quarterback when playing good teams on the road. And Gunner Stockton is definitely unproven. I know the junior played in two College Football Playoff games last year, but he didn’t look good in either of those contests. And I’m simply not buying that he’s ready to go into Knoxville and deliver in this spot. While Josh Heupel has a reputation as an offense-first coach, his Tennessee teams have been really sound defensively. Last year, the Vols were fifth in the nation in yards per play allowed (4.5), and they gave up only 16.1 points per game. Well, Heupel has eight players with starting experience back on this year’s defense, and there’s no reason to believe that this group will be too much worse. Defensive coordinator Tim Banks has shown he’s a superb defensive play-caller, and he has talent at every level of the defense.
Stockton just looks more like a game-managing quarterback than anything else. That’s not crazy considering he was a four-star recruit out of high school, when I’m not sure anybody in Athens would tell you they were excited about him being a starter for one of the biggest brands in football. And if he is a game manager, it’s going to be hard to manage this specific game without a very productive day on the ground from the Georgia backfield.
Obviously, the Tennessee offense is going to need to do some damage, and that’s not exactly a straightforward proposition against Georgia. It’s only a matter of time before the Bulldogs start popping up at the top of every advanced stat leaderboard on the defensive side of the ball. But Tennessee has scored 117 points through two weeks. So far, things look pretty good along the offensive line, which was a question mark coming into the season. And Joey Aguilar looks like the perfect medicine at quarterback. The former Appalachian State starter is big, he’s accurate and he can make plays with his legs. Sure, he’s not as talented as Nico Iamaleava, but he’s more coachable and further along in his development. That makes him a good fit in Heupel’s offense. I expect him to focus on getting the ball out to his playmakers quickly and avoid making mistakes.
This has also been a tough spot for Kirby Smart in his time at Georgia. The Bulldogs are 3-4 straight-up and 2-5 against the spread as road favorites of 7 or fewer under Smart. Meanwhile, the Vols are 26-4 SU and 18-12 ATS in home games under Heupel.
Georgia vs. Tennessee Prediction
If I had to take something in this game, I’d grab the 4.5 with Tennessee. I don’t feel strongly about it at the current number, but I think Stockton is one of the shakiest quarterbacks that is currently steering a top-tier program. That’s problematic against a very good Tennessee defense — especially in a tough place to win. However, I did actually put in a parlay with Tennessee on an alternate line of +10.5 and LSU to beat Florida. I’d look into something like that, which also gives you a piece of two of the biggest games of the day.
LEAN: Tennessee +4.5 (-120)
