Tennessee vs. Georgia Odds and Preview: No. 1 Vols Face UGA as Underdogs

The stakes heading into Saturday’s Tennessee-Georgia game were already pretty high before the College Football Playoff committee released its first rankings Tuesday night, but now that Tennessee has been named the No. 1 team in the nation, the stakes are even higher. And most online sportsbooks have the visiting Vols listed as 8-point underdogs.

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A loss may not necessarily knock Tennessee out of the top four in the CFP rankings, but a Tennessee win could mean the end of No. 3 Georgia’s national championship dreams. This game between heavyweights is Saturday, Nov. 5, at Georgia’s Sanford Stadium. Kickoff is at 3:30 p.m. ET.

Tennessee vs. Georgia Odds

The Vols are listed as the underdogs at Tennessee sportsbooks heading into this pivotal SEC matchup. Here are the odds as of early Wednesday afternoon.

Every win has been pivotal to Tennessee earning the No. 1 spot in the initial CFP rankings, but no one cares who is No. 1 in the initial poll, just the last one. Should the Vols lose to Georgia this weekend, they will probably become the second team in CFP history to lose the No. 1 spot in the CFP rankings after just one week (Ohio State, 2019). Beating a high-powered team like the Bulldogs will not be easy.

Georgia Will Not Go Down Without A Fight

While this Georgia team has not faced a formidable opponent this season, it is hard to find fault with the product on the field each week. QB Stetson Bennett appears to have come into his own. The offense has been one of the most productive in the country, ranking No. 2 in total offense, No. 8 in passing, and No. 6 in scoring.

But the team’s strength is still the defense, much like last season’s national championship team. It is among the best in the country in several statistical categories, No. 4 in total defense, No. 2 in scoring, No. 5 against the run, and No. 13 against the pass.

However, the defense will be without linebacker Nolan Smith, who is out for the year due to an injury.

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Tennessee Is Just As Good On Offense

Missouri gave Georgia a good scare, but otherwise, the Bulldogs have beaten every opponent by at least 17-points. How can Tennessee compete with such a dominant team? Because, in many ways, they are as good or better than the Bulldogs.

Georgia has produced some impressive stat lines this season, but so has Tennessee — and against a more challenging schedule. So, the Bulldogs have the No. 2 offense in the country (total offense). Tennessee has the No. 1 unit and the No. 1 scoring offense. They are also the No. 2 passing team and run the ball as well as Georgia does.

However, the defense has not been nearly as good, giving up close to 400 yards of offense and 21 points a game. Teams have averaged less than 100 yards a game on the ground, but they have also averaged about 300 yards passing.

Betting Analysis: Don’t Give Up On The Vols

The stats make Georgia look like the superior team on paper, but you have to consider who each team has played this season.

Tennessee has defeated five ranked teams, including then-No. 3 Alabama. The Bulldogs? They beat an Oregon team that was ranked No. 11 at the time, and that’s it. Generating impressive stat lines is easy when you play a relatively weak schedule. The Vols have been more productive while playing a more challenging schedule. They’ve already proven they can rise to the challenge (i.e., Alabama).

Don’t be shocked if they do so once again this week.

Our Pick: Tennessee to win at +250 on the moneyline. But if you are not sure the Vols can win, take the points. This game will be close, much like the Alabama game.

Photo By Andrew Ferguson/Tennessee Athletics