It’s the third Saturday in October, and that means Tennessee vs Alabama. This is one of the best rivalries in the SEC, and it is usually a hard-fought battle. When the Crimson Tide meet the Volunteers on Rocky Top on Saturday afternoon, both teams will have one loss in SEC play, and the winner will be feeling really good about where they stand as the season heads into the second half. At the moment, I have a hard time seeing Tennessee being able to match the scoring pace of the Tide, and that’s why I am taking Alabama -8.5.
So far this season, the Vols have been an outstanding defensive team, but their offense has largely struggled. They have a QB controversy, and it is unclear who will start on Saturday. They have yet to eclipse 24 points in conference play though, and that puts a lot of pressure on their defense to lock down opponents. That’s a problem when facing the Crimson Tide. Bama is lethal on the offensive side of the ball, and only the Georgia Bulldogs have held this team under 45 points this year—and that was in rainy and windy conditions. I think Alabama will return to their high scoring ways, and I don’t think the Vols can keep up with them right now. Give me the Tide to roll on Rocky Top.
Alabama vs Tennessee prediction: Alabama -8.5 (-110) available at time of publishing. Playable to -9.5.
