Tennessee vs. Alabama prediction, odds, betting line: 2024 college football Week 8 picks by proven model
By CBS Sports Staff,
2 days ago
The No. 11 Tennessee Volunteers will host the No. 7 Alabama Crimson Tide on Saturday in one of the biggest SEC matchups of the season. The "Third Saturday in October" rivalry began in 1901 and Alabama holds a 59-39-2 advantage in the all-time series after winning 16 of the 17 games with Nick Saban at the helm. However, this will be Kalen DeBoer's first taste of this legendary rivalry and Tennessee was victorious the last time these teams played in Knoxville.
The model simulates every FBS college football game 10,000 times. Since its inception, it has generated a betting profit of well over $2,000 for $100 players on its top-rated college spread football picks , and it is 12-5 on top-rated picks over the past three weeks of this season. Anyone who has followed it has seen strong returns.
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Why Tennessee can cover
With blowout wins over Chattanooga and Kent State accompanied by decisive wins over North Carolina State and Oklahoma while both teams were ranked, Tennessee briefly moved into the top four of the AP Top 25 before stumbling at Arkansas two weeks ago. However, the Volunteers were able to rebound and erase a 10-point second-half deficit to grind out a win against Florida in overtime last week.
Dylan Sampson rushed for 112 yards and three touchdowns in the victory and the third-year running back leads the SEC with 15 rushing touchdowns. Josh Heupel will be looking to get Sampson and quarterback Nico Iamaleava going early against an Alabama defense that is allowing 437 yards per game over its last three outings. Tennessee has also covered the spread in five of its last seven games. See who to back at SportsLine .
Why Alabama can cover
The Crimson Tide were favored by 23.5 against Vanderbilt and narrowly avoided another disaster as 21.5-point favorites at home against South Carolina . However, the defense ultimately came up with a stop when it was needed following a special teams letdown. Jalen Milroe accounted for three touchdowns in the victory and has now tallied 23 total touchdowns (12 passing and 11 rushing) on the season.
He and true freshman Ryan Williams have already formed a dynamic duo, with Williams catching 23 passes for 576 yards and six touchdowns over the first six games. Hemming the 17-year-old in will be a primary objective for the Tennessee defense on Saturday. Alabama has covered the spread in nine of its last 11 trips to Neyland Stadium. See who to back at SportsLine .
How to make Tennessee vs. Alabama picks
SportsLine's model is leaning Over on the total, projecting 58 combined points. It also says one side of the spread hits over 50% of the time. You can see the model's pick at SportsLine .
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