Syracuse vs. Tennessee Prediction, Odds & Expert Picks Today: College Football Week 1 Best Bets
My Syracuse vs. Tennessee prediction and college football picks for this week will have you ready as the action gets underway from Mercedes-Benz Stadium in Atlanta at noon ET (ABC).
No. 24 Tennessee is a 13.5-point betting favorite against unranked Syracuse in a clash between two teams that have new signal-callers. As part of my college football predictions for Week 1, I have a plus-money bet on Tennessee’s Joey Aguilar as my favorite player prop.
🏈 Syracuse vs. Tennessee expert picks & predictions
College football expert picks made Thursday; odds subject to change.
- Moneyline pick: Tennessee (-550 via Caesars) ⭐⭐
- Against the spread pick: Tennessee -13.5 (-120 via ESPN BET) ⭐⭐⭐
- Over/Under pick: Under 51 (-110 via Caesars) ⭐⭐
📝 Syracuse vs. Tennessee preview & best bet
Track the latest college football scores for line movement and matchup info.
🍊 Tennessee -13.5 (-120) ⭐⭐⭐
With two rebuilding offenses, I favor the better defense. Tennessee returns most of its impressive defense from last season, including its leading tackler, Arion Carter. The Volunteers ranked fifth in yards allowed per play a year ago (4.5). Syracuse will struggle to move the football, especially with a largely new receiving room and a transfer quarterback in Steve Angeli with just 80 career pass attempts.
The question will become whether Tennessee can score enough to cover the spread – or to push us over the total. New quarterback Joey Aguilar has plenty of experience, both in JUCO and at Appalachian State. The steady passing efficiency score he posted in 2023 (151.6) tanked in 2024 (132.9) due to an uptick in interceptions and a downtick in touchdowns. With Josh Heupel’s direction, Aguilar should improve.
I don’t know if Aguilar can make it in the SEC, but he should help Tennessee cover against a shaky Syracuse defense that’s rebuilding. The Orange ranked 122nd in yards allowed per play (6.5) and needed quarterback Kyle McCord to lead the NCAA in passing yards per game (367.6) by more than 30 yards just to go 10-3. Back the Vols here – a $10 bet on the spread at ESPN BET will score you an $8.33 profit.
💰 Best Syracuse vs. Tennessee player prop bet
Our college football player prop odds tool shows the best odds for every market across legal sportsbooks in your area.
⬇️ Joey Aguilar Under 0.5 interceptions (+100) ⭐⭐⭐⭐
Let’s assume I’m right that Tennessee wins and, ultimately, covers. The Volunteers shouldn’t need to pass the ball that much, reducing the odds of an interception from Aguilar. Further, the running game may play an outsized role from an early point – Syracuse ranked 117th in yards allowed per rush attempt (5.3) last season.
The Syracuse secondary racked up 11 interceptions last year, by 10 different players. But nine of those players are gone. The Orange will largely turn in-house to replace those players, so it’s not like a splash ballhawk transfer is on the roster.
Tennessee won’t need Aguilar to do that much to win on Saturday. While I don’t expect them to get out to such a huge lead that Heupel decides to rotate in the backups, I also don’t expect Aguilar to toss an interception – and at bet365 we can profit $10 from a $10 wager if he doesn't throw one.
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📊 Syracuse vs. Tennessee odds: Week 1
College football odds update live in real time.
📈 Syracuse vs. Tennessee betting odds analysis
The Syracuse vs. Tennessee betting odds have already shifted considerably, as is generally the case with Week 1 games, due to the odds opening so far in advance of the matchup. Tennessee opened as a 12.5-point favorite but is now favored by 13.5 after briefly touching on 14 points earlier in the week.
But the line that has moved the most is the total, which has plummeted from 55.5 to 51.5. That movement may speak to confidence in the defenses – or a lack of confidence in the quarterbacks. It's popped back up from hitting 50.5 earlier in the week, with 63% of the wagers coming on the Over on gameday.
🔢 Syracuse vs. Tennessee stats (2024)
Season stats courtesy of sports-reference.com.
| Syracuse (10-3) | Statistic (per game) | Tennessee (10-3) |
|---|---|---|
| 34.1 | Points | 35.7 |
| 29.2 | Points allowed | 16.1 |
| 0.0 | Turnover margin | +0.4 |
| 370.0 | Passing yards | 221.2 |
| 97.6 | Rushing yards | 225.8 |
| 227.3 | Passing yards allowed | 189.3 |
| 150.2 | Rushing yards allowed | 103.9 |
| -0.1 | Net yards per play | 1.5 |
🚑 Syracuse vs. Tennessee injuries
📺 Syracuse vs. Tennessee game info
- When: Saturday, Aug. 30
- Kickoff: Noon ET
- Where: Mercedes-Benz Stadium (Atlanta)
- How to watch: ABC
❓ Syracuse vs. Tennessee FAQs
Who is favored to win Syracuse vs. Tennessee?
Tennessee is favored to beat Syracuse in Saturday’s Syracuse vs. Tennessee matchup.
What is the spread for Syracuse vs. Tennessee?
Tennessee is a 14-point betting favorite (or a 13.5-point betting favorite, depending on your book) for this matchup versus Syracuse after opening at -14.5.
What is the Over/Under for Syracuse vs. Tennessee?
The Over/Under for Saturday’s Syracuse vs. Tennessee game is currently 50.5, far below the 56.5 at which it opened.
What are the best bets for Syracuse vs. Tennessee?
My two best bets for Syracuse vs. Tennessee are Tennessee to cover the 13.5-point spread and Joey Aguilar to stay Under 0.5 interceptions.
When is the Syracuse vs. Tennessee game?
The Syracuse vs. Tennessee game will get underway on Saturday, Aug. 30, at noon ET (ABC).
How do college football odds work?
When betting on college football, the point spread shows how many points the favorite needs to win by in order to cash the bet. For example, a favorite of -3 must win by more than 3 points to cover the spread, while an underdog at +3 must win outright or lose by fewer than 3 points to cover the spread.
Moneyline odds represent the payout for picking the outright winner (+200 means a $100 bet wins $200, while -200 means a $200 bet wins $100). Over/Unders let you wager on whether the combined total will be higher or lower than the set number.
You can determine the payouts and implied probabilities for any wager - or convert odds to different formats - with our odds converter.
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