Week 8 of the college football season will showcase an exciting SEC matchup between the Alabama Crimson Tide and Tennessee Volunteers . Both teams will fight to avoid a second loss this season as they strive to keep their College Football Playoff hopes alive.
After a tough loss to unranked Arkansas, the Volunteers showed their resilience by bouncing back and defeating Florida 23-17 in overtime during Week 7. The game's standout player was Vols running back Dylan Sampson , who scored his third touchdown with a 1-yard run in overtime, sealing the victory for Tennessee.
After a surprising loss to unranked Vanderbilt, the Crimson Tide secured a nail-biting 27-25 win against South Carolina in Week 7. The game was a roller coaster of emotions, with defensive back Domani Jackson intercepting Gamecocks quarterback LaNorris Sellers in the final seconds to edge Alabama to the crucial win.
Heading into Week 8, both Alabama and Tennessee remain in a strong position, with a 5-1 record (2-1 in the conference). Here are the current predictions and odds for the highly anticipated SEC matchup.
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College football 2024: Alabama vs. Tennessee predictions
ESPN : Alabama has a 53% chance to win
According to ESPN's Matchup Predictor, the Alabama Crimson Tide have a 53.9% chance to beat the Tennessee Volunteers in Week 8.
Fox Sports : Alabama 32, Tennessee 23
Staff writes: "In their last three head-to-head matchups, Alabama has won against Tennessee two times. In those matchups against Tennessee, the Crimson Tide have covered two times while going over the total each time."
Reed Wallach writes: "While (Jalen) Milroe has feasted on deep passes this season, the Crimson Tide’s run game has been one-dimensional around the quarterback’s ability to extend plays. However, like South Carolina, Tennessee has an elite defensive line that can limit his ability to move around the pocket and break contain. I’ll side with the home underdog at a field goal as Tennessee’s defensive line should be up to the test while I think Alabama has too many questions to be laying a field goal on the road against a difficult offensive scheme to handle, even if it isn’t operating at its best."
Staff writes: "The weakest unit in this game is surprisingly Alabama's defense, though maybe it should not be surprising as Nick Saban is now working for College Gameday instead of running the defensive unit. Bama coach Kalen DeBoer is an offensive mind, and the Bama defense has taken a step back under his short tenure. This means Tennessee, and their 9th ranked offense will feel comfortable at home, and be able to put up points. (Nico) Iamaleava will be able to find his receivers, especially considering Alabama will have to respect the run. Sampson is second in the nation in touchdowns, and will keep the chains moving against this Bama front line. Take the home team and the points here. Take Tennessee plus the points."
College football 2024: Alabama vs. Tennessee odds, lines:
The Alabama Crimson Tide are favorites to defeat the Tennessee Volunteers, according to the BetMGM college football odds .
Odds as of Thursday afternoon.
- Spread: Alabama (-3)
- Moneyline: Alabama (-155)
- Over/under: 56.5
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How to watch Alabama vs. Tennessee:
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This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Alabama vs. Tennessee: Predictions, odds and how to watch Saturday
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