SEC betting predictions: Best Bet - Tennessee over 6.5 (-130)

[Freak]

Nothing earth-shattering in the reasoning, but it's interesting that their "best bet" is Tennessee to get to seven wins.

It wasn't all that long ago that the Volunteers' bandwagon was full. Though Tennessee registered back-to-back nine-win seasons in 2015-16 during the Butch Jones era, there was a sense of underachievement. It's been a trying couple of seasons since. An 0-6 record in SEC play under Jones in 2017 before he got the boot followed by a 5-7 season with Jeremy Pruitt at the helm sunk the Vols' stock. But it might be the perfect time to buy some Tennessee.

The Volunteers return 83 percent of their starting production from 2018, second only to Western Michigan. They shooed out unimaginative offensive coordinator Tyson Helton and replaced him with former Georgia quarterbacks coach and OC Jim Chaney. In three seasons under Chaney, the Bulldogs' offense improved every year, going from 24.4 points per game to 34.9 and then 37.3 last season, which ranked No. 12 in the country.

They start the season with games against Georgia State, BYU, and Chattanooga - three winnable contests to get the season off to a hot start. Although there's a tough SEC schedule in the middle and a clash with UAB, there are seven wins on this docket.

SEC betting preview and predictions

 

[Backwards K]

I'd take 7 regular season wins today and be happy with the season going into the bowl game.

 

[BeardedVol]

No real excuse to not manage 7 wins given the schedule.

 

[Nationdom]

9 win team. 10 with ONE break.

 

[Backwards K]

No real excuse to not manage 7 wins given the schedule.

I'm assuming you have the 4 non conference games as Ws. Who ya got for the conference wins? Nationdom, I'm especially curious of your assessment?

 

[BeardedVol]

I'm assuming you have the 4 non conference games as Ws. Who ya got for the conference wins? Nationdom, I'm especially curious of your assessment?

I don't think that BYU is a for-sure win, but in year 2 if we play up to the recruited talent level, and the staff has developed that talent at all, then we should win that game.

Given their talent losses, no reason that we should lose to Kentucky or Vanderbilt to do so will call Pruitt's hiring into question.

Out of Mississippi State, South Carolina, or Missouri, we should be able to win at least one of those games.

 

[Nationdom]

I'm assuming you have the 4 non conference games as Ws. Who ya got for the conference wins? Nationdom, I'm especially curious of your assessment?

We have more talent than everyone but UF, UGA, and Bama. We are very close to UF. We will beat everyone else. UK, Vandy, BYU we will beat by 21+.

 

[Backwards K]

I agree that there is no way the Vols should ever lose to Vandy but...... Also, you are right about BYU. If the Vols can't get a pass rush, this will be a fight to the end!

At Kentucky is a toss up at best but, then the Vols have some sort of hex over the Cats. At Missouri seems to be a stretch at this point, especially when you consider how easily they have handled us since Dobbs left.

Vols have Miss St and South Carolina at home but, DANG! Muschamp has owned the Vols no matter how bad his team is. Miss St will be more physical on both sides of the ball but they should struggle at QB and Neyland should be worth some points here.

At this point, I'd accept (grudgingly) 6 wins and be very happy with 7. More than that will take more than a couple of upsets. A lot depends on how much of a difference Chaney can make with the offense and can some of the new guys on the defensive front 7 make an unexpected impact

 

[Dudleys87]

8

Few breaks here or there 9

 

[Backwards K]

8

Few breaks here or there 9

How are you getting there?

 

[gatorhater1509]

Anybody that says 9+ is delusional. 8 is the absolute top in the regular season with losses to Florida, Georgia, Alabama, and Missouri.

6-7 is being realistic with the 4 losses above and South Carolina (haven't beat Muschamp once) and possibly Miss St/Vandy (sucks but )

Hope I'm wrong and win 12.

 

[photovol]

We have more talent than everyone but UF, UGA, and Bama. We are very close to UF. We will beat everyone else. UK, Vandy, BYU we will beat by 21+.

Do you have any more of that stuff?

 

[BeardedVol]

We have more talent than everyone but UF, UGA, and Bama. We are very close to UF. We will beat everyone else. UK, Vandy, BYU we will beat by 21+.

Do we need to go back and revisit your outlandish predictions from the last few years?

 

[gordonr24]

I’m placing the over bet in Tunica the weekend before the season starts. This feels like easy money at 6.5

The schedule is softer too, along with all of the returning starters. Not even being an optimist here.

 

[KBVol]

We have more talent than everyone but UF, UGA, and Bama. We are very close to UF. We will beat everyone else. UK, Vandy, BYU we will beat by 21+.

According to the recruiting services, last year we had quite a bit more talent based on recruiting class rankings the the last several years than both Mizz and Vandy.....and they both beat the ever loving ish out of Tennessee. So clearly, it’s not about “talent”, certainly as you would describe it, there’s more at play here. 6-7 wins is the consensus reasonable expectation this year, with an 8 win season being an outstanding result. Just no chance in hell this team wins 10 games this year, I don’t care if they get 5 years worth of breaks.

By the way, didn’t you have us winning 10-11 games last year? Lol. Missed it by THAT much.

 

[Manning Up]

9 win team. 10 with ONE break.

Wrong. But then you always are.

 

[Dudleys87]

How are you getting there?

Start season 3-0
Drop 4
Close season 5-0

I’m not completely convinced we lose to Mississippi State

 

[EZE]

I like the over, but probably need 4-0 out of conference to get there.

 

[FLVOL_79]

9 win team. 10 with ONE break.

bless your heart

 

[KeyVol14]

I don't think that BYU is a for-sure win, but in year 2 if we play up to the recruited talent level, and the staff has developed that talent at all, then we should win that game.

Given their talent losses, no reason that we should lose to Kentucky or Vanderbilt to do so will call Pruitt's hiring into question.

Out of Mississippi State, South Carolina, or Missouri, we should be able to win at least one of those games.

I swear if I hear about Missouri again I'm going to lose it. Kelly Bryant is no where near the passer drew lock was. Shut down the running game and they're toast

 

[CaliVol2009]

Do we need to go back and revisit your outlandish predictions from the last few years?

Orange moonshine is a helluva drug, cut him some slack, lol.

 

[XknoxvolsX]

I have said I think we take State. They will not be any where near what they were when Mullen was there. USCe, if we luck up and have an on game while they have an off game. As for Mizzou, that team has just had our number! They may not be as good as in years past but, still, as I just mentioned, they have our number.

 

[peerless98]

After looking at the schedule to the best of my ability, I only see 2 "sure losses" (Alabama and Georgia), but I see 4 "sure wins" (Georgia State, BYU, UAB, and Chattanooga). However, of the remaining games, I see 2 others we should win (KY, and Vandy) and 4 we could win (Miss. State, Florida, SC, and Missouri).
With that said, I think we go 7-5 minimum.

 

[dcm3w]

Anybody that says 9+ is delusional. 8 is the absolute top in the regular season with losses to Florida, Georgia, Alabama, and Missouri.

6-7 is being realistic with the 4 losses above and South Carolina (haven't beat Muschamp once) and possibly Miss St/Vandy (sucks but )

Hope I'm wrong and win 12.

Mizzou is a toss up for sure. They lost Lock who torched us the past two years while adding Bryant who is suspect. It could go either way, honestly.

 

[titansvolsfaninga]

I love that most if not all the players are shutting down their social media accounts. Sounds focused and determined to shock the world.