The 12th-ranked Tennessee Volunteers hope to get off to a quick start Saturday when they face the Virginia Cavaliers in their 2023 college football season opener in Nashville. The Vols finished last season ranked sixth in the nation after beating Clemson 31-14 in the Orange Bowl to finish 11-2. The Cavaliers went 3-7 in their first season under coach Tony Elliott. The Vols had the nation's best offense last season, and even though they lost some star players, they have high expectations. Meanwhile, Virginia is in rebuilding mode, but a new quarterback gives Elliott and fans hope that he can get things going in the right direction. The teams have met four times previously, most recently in 1990, and UT is 3-1 in those meetings.
Kickoff is set for noon ET at Nissan Stadium. The SportsLine consensus lists the Vols as 28-point favorites in the latest Virginia vs. Tennessee odds, with the over/under for total points scored set at 56. Before making any Tennessee vs. Virginia picks, be sure to check out the college football predictions and betting advice from SportsLine's proven computer model.
The SportsLine Projection Model simulates every FBS college football game 10,000 times. Since its inception, the proprietary computer model has generated a stunning profit of almost $2,500 for $100 players on its top-rated college football picks against the spread. Anyone who has followed it has seen huge returns.
Now, the model has set its sights on Virginia vs. Tennessee and just revealed its picks and predictions. You can visit SportsLine now to see the model's CFB picks. Here are several college football odds and trends for Tennessee vs. UVA:
- Virginia vs. Tennessee spread: Tennessee -28
- Virginia vs. Tennessee over/under: 56 points
- Virginia vs. Tennessee money line: Cavaliers +1600, Volunteers -5123
- Virginia: The Cavs are 11-7 ATS against ranked opponents since 2016.
- Tennessee: The Vols were 5-0 ATS in non-conference games in 2022.
- Virginia vs. Tennessee picks: See picks at SportsLine
Why Tennessee can cover
Tennessee lost quarterback Hendon Hooker, the 2022 SEC Player of the Year, and star receiver Jalin Hyatt, but coach Josh Heupel remains. The coach has a strong-armed veteran to lead the offense in Joe Milton. Heupel's offenses have ranked in the top 10 in FBS the past five years, dating to his time at UCF. Milton started the final two games with Hooker injured and finished the season with 12 TD passes and no interceptions. The Vols also should have a potent run game.
UT went 8-2 against the spread as a favorite in 2022 and was 10-3 ATS overall. The Vols led FBS in total yards (525.5 per game) and scoring (46.1 points), and running backs Jaylen Wright and Jabari Small combined for 1,609 rushing yards and 23 touchdowns. Bru McCoy (667 yards) and Squirrel White (481) should be the top targets. The Cavs were outscored by almost 10 points per game, while UT had an averages 22 points more than their opponents. The defense came on strong late last season, and linebacker Aaron Beasley (76 tackles, three sacks) led the way. See which team to pick here.
Why Virginia can cover
Elliott has been part of a lot of big games as the former offensive coordinator at Clemson, and he also has had a ton of time to get ready. He has been working with a new quarterback, and Tony Muskett put up strong numbers in his past three seasons at FCS Monmouth. The Virginia native threw for 5,687 yards, with 51 TD passes and 16 interceptions, for the Hawks and earned All-Big South first-team honors in 2020 and '21.
Muskett doesn't have many proven targets, but the Vols ranked 127th in passing defense in 2022, allowing 287 yards per game. Virginia could have a strong run game behind Perris Jones (365 yards) and Clemson transfer Kobe Pace (641 in 2021). The Cavs are 4-0 in their past four as a double-digit underdog, and they covered three of their final four games. That includes losses by two points to Miami and three to North Carolina. The UVA defense yielded 4.8 yards per play in 2002, 23rd in FBS, and gave up 361 yards per game (41st). Top rusher Chico Bennett (knee) is injured, so Kam Butler (three sacks in 2022) should lead a veteran front seven. See which team to pick here.
How to make Virginia vs. Tennessee picks
SportsLine's model is leaning Over on the total, projecting that the teams combine for 58 points. The model also says one side of the spread has all the value. You can only see the model's pick at SportsLine.
So who wins Virginia vs. Tennessee, and which side of the spread has all the value? Visit SportsLine now to see which side of the spread you need to jump on, all from the model that has notched a profit of almost $2,500 on its top-rated college football spread picks, and find out.
