Tennessee vs. Texas Expert Picks for Saturday: College Football Week 4 Predictions

Saturday afternoon brings one of the biggest games of the college football season so far, and we have you covered with our Texas vs. Tennessee expert picks. The No. 1 Longhorns travel to face the No. 14 Volunteers at Neyland Stadium in Knoxville, Tennessee, with kickoff scheduled for 12 p.m. ET on ABC.

Texas and Tennessee both enter the matchup undefeated, setting up a massive SEC showdown between two highly ranked teams. The game marks Texas' first visit to Neyland Stadium and the first regular-season meeting between the programs, adding another layer to an already highly anticipated matchup.

🏈 Tennessee vs. Texas expert picks: College football Saturday

See all of our experts' college football picks for Week 4 based on the latest college football odds.

Mike Spector's pick: Tennessee +4.5 (-108)

While Tennessee had a pretty soft non-conference slate against three teams that are now a combined 4-6, it is also one of the few SEC teams to claim a non-conference win against a power conference team (Georgia Tech in the early going). It also gave freshman quarterback Faizon Brandon a chance to acclimate to the system, while leading the Volunteers to a top-four rushing offense (298.7 yards per game). Tennessee also has balance with a top-20 pass defense (151.0 yards allowed per game) and the third-most sacks (13). 

It could all have been gamesmanship and not wanting to show too much early, but there has been something to nitpick from every Texas game. The Longhorns allowed a touchdown and two other drives of eight-plus plays in the first half against Texas State, then fell behind Ohio State 23-3, while Arch Manning turned in a 24.2 Total QBR last week against UTSA.

This line has been all over the place, ranging from Texas -3.5 to -5.5. I was able to back the Volunteers early at the best number, and would pass at anything lower than the current price of +4.5.

See Mike Spector's full analysis in his Tennessee vs. Texas predictions.

LJ Blut's pick: Hollywood Smothers anytime TD (-150)

Hollywood Smothers is our touchdown scorer pick against Tennessee this Saturday, provided he's healthy enough to play. The Texas running back scored twice against Ohio State, including the game-winning touchdown, proving he can deliver in crucial moments.

His ability to handle a heavy workload and contribute in the passing game gives him multiple opportunities to find the end zone. With Arch Manning commanding Tennessee's attention, Smothers could capitalize on scoring opportunities near the goal line. However, his status remains uncertain after being listed as questionable with an undisclosed injury ahead of Saturday's highly anticipated SEC showdown.

See LJ Blut's full analysis in his Tennessee vs. Texas touchdown scorer pick.

Brenden Schaeffer's pick: Under 54.5 (-110)

When digging into the FPI adjusted efficiency rankings, Tennessee is pretty balanced. The Vols are 19th on the offensive side, and 20th on defense. Defensively, they’ll have the crowd on their side to make life more difficult for the Longhorns, who rank 12th in adjusted offensive efficiency.

Texas presents at a pretty elite level defensively, holding Ohio State to 23 points in that marquee matchup. The Longhorns rank 4th in the nation in adjusted defensive efficiency. After Texas’ game against Ohio State totaled 47 points, I view this line at 54.5 total points as being a high bar to clear.

See Brenden Schaeffer's full analysis in his Tennessee vs. Texas same-game parlay.

📺 How to watch Tennessee vs. Texas: Week 4

• Date: Saturday, Sept. 26
• Kickoff: 12 p.m. ET
• Location: Vaught-Hemingway Stadium (Oxford, MS.)
• Streaming: ABC