It is an ACC/SEC battle as Virginia faces Tennessee. It is time to continue our College Football odds series with a Virginia-Tennessee prediction, pick, and how-to-watch.
Last season was a tough season for Virginia. They won just three games, with wins over FCS Richmond, Old Dominion, and Georgia Tech. Virginia also canceled their last two games due to players being killed in a shooting. The offense was. bad this year, and they struggled to convert on third down. Brennan Armstrong is gone to NC State, and they bring in the Monmouth transfer Tony Muskett. He does not turn over the ball much, which will help UVA with their turnovers. They lost a lot of their top targets and offensive line though, so it could be a rough season for the offense. The defense was solid though. Most of the front seven returns, but it will be a new secondary.
Tennessee had a great year last year. After starting 8-0 with wins over Florida, LSU, and Alabama, their first loss was to Georgia. Still, they had a chance to go to the playoffs, before they lost to South Carolina at the end of the season. Hendon Hooker is gone and Joe Milton steps in. They bring in transfers for new targets for Milton, and Jaylen Wright is back at running back. The defense was solid for the most part, minus their loss to South Carolina. They have a great front seven that gets into the backfield regularly.
Here are the college football odds, courtesy of FanDuel.
College Football Odds: Virginia-Tennessee Odds
Virginia: +27.5 (-105)
Tennessee: -27.5 (-115)
Over: 56.5 (-105)
Under: 56.5 (-115)
How to Watch Virginia vs. Tennessee
TV: ABC
Stream: ESPN App
Time: 12:00 PM ET/ 9:00 AM PT
*Watch college football LIVE with fuboTV (click for a free trial)*
Why Virginia Will Cover The Spread
Last year UVA was 80th in the nation in passing while being one of the worst scoring offenses. Tony Muskett should be taking over as the starting quarterback. Last year at Monmouth he threw for 1,997 yards with 17 touchdowns and eight interceptions. In 2021, it was 2,651 yards and 25 touchdowns with just six interceptions. He has a big arm that can stretch the field, but he is smart, he will check down if nothing is open to keep the chains moving. He is not as mobile as Brennan Armstrong but can do work with his legs when needed as well.
The Cavaliers will need to do better in the running game. Their top back last year was under 400 yards rushing and Brennan Armstrong was the leading rusher. Kobe Pace enters the backfield for Virginia. He ran only 18 times last year for 75 yards at Clemson, but he was solid in 2021. That year he ran for 641 yards and six touchdowns with 6.2 yards per carry last year. Perris Jones is also in the backfield and came in with 365 yards last year and two touchdowns. Virginia also brings in Malik Washington from Northwestern. In a bad offense last year he took in 65 receptions and 694 yards.
The defense will be the major concern. Only Anthony Johnson had more than three passes defended and two interceptions. He is now a member of the New Orleans Saints. They bring back just three combined interceptions from last year. They do have Chico Bennett coming back this year. He had seven sacks last year with two forced fumbles and a recovery. He is great at getting into the backfield and causing pressure which will lead to some bad passes.
Why Tennessee Will Cover The Spread
Joe Milton replaces Hendon Hooker at quarterback. He played well when he got the chance last year. Hooker started two games for Tennessee last year. He went 11-21 with 147 yards and a touchdown against Vanderbilt and threw for three more scores and 251 yards in the bowl game victory over Clemson. Last year, he threw for over 900 yards and ten touchdowns. Milton was initially expected to transfer in a be the starter. He is a high-quality quarterback who will be looking to show he is ready to take over this Tennessee program.
At wide receiver, Cedric Tillman and Jalin Hyatt are both gone. Bru McCoy is in his second season at Tennessee. He had 52 catches for 667 yards last year and four scores. Ramel Keyton was the third wide receiver in this offense and will be looking to step up in this one. Last year he had 562 yards receiving and five touchdowns. Keyton looked great with Milton in the bowl game last year. He caught four passes for 76 yards and a touchdown in that game. They look to have a solid connection and will be working more on that in this game. Dont'e Thorton come in from Oregon? He had 17 catches last year for 366 yards and a score.
On defense, there is a lot to be replaced, but there are some quality parts still there. Tamarion McDonald is a big play safety and led the team in stops. Jaylen McCollough joined him and he was second on the team in stops as well. They have new corners, but Gabe Jeudy-Lally comes in from BYU. In his career, he has 97 tackles and eight passes broken up. At linebacker, Aaron Beasley is back. He had 76 tackles last season and three sacks. He was also great at getting into the backfield and had 13 tackles for a loss. Keenan Pili comes in from BYU and he brings experience, size, and speed to the linebacking core.
Final Virginia-Tennessee Prediction & Pick
Virginia could be one of the worst teams in the Power Five. They are breaking in a new quarterback without any solid returning pass catchers. Even more, they have a new running back and a bad offensive line. Tennessee scored over 50 points six different times. The team total for them of over 41.5 at -106 may be a great play here. Virginia will not cause turnovers allowing Tennessee to wear down the defense and score at will. If they hit 41.5, there is no way for Virginia to score enough to cover. Take Tennessee and lay the points.
Final Virginia-Tennessee Prediction & Pick: Tennessee -27.5 (-115)