How Tennessee Can Shake Up National Title Odds Starting With Alabama
The Vols host #3 Alabama on Saturday
The Tennessee Volunteers could disrupt college football's national championship picture this Saturday.
Sixth-ranked Tennessee welcomes the third-ranked Alabama Crimson Tide to Knoxville in what should be one of the most exciting games of the entire season. Alabama opened as a 7.5-point road favorite with a total of O/U 65.5 and there really hasn't been any line movement yet. The status of star quarterback Bryce Young is up in the air, but Bama head coach Nick Saban is hopeful Young will return.
"Hopefully, we?re going to try to get him ready to play this week," Saban told reporters. "But this is something that nobody can predict how quickly this will give him an opportunity to be able to go out and do what he needs to do. We?ll see as the week progresses, but I don?t have an update much more than that.?
Whether Young plays or not, Alabama will get its money's worth against Hendon Hooker and the Vols' loaded offense. They're averaging an absurd 47 points and 548 yards per game and the "Hooker for Heisman" hype continues to pick up more steam as the season rolls along.
If Tennessee pulls the upset Saturday, the national title betting board will be turned upside down.
CFB national title odds at SuperBook:
Ohio State +180 ($100 wins $180)
Alabama +200
Georgia +200
Clemson +1200
USC +1600
Michigan +2000
Tennessee +5000
UCLA +6000
Ole Miss +8000
Penn State +8000 ($100 wins $8,000)
"Tennessee could drop to 15-1 if they beat Alabama," one professional bettor told NESN. "So if you're looking to capitalize, you make that bet now. Don't wait for the upset to happen and jump on a train that's already left the station. If you think Tennessee can knock off Alabama, you make a move now."
Bookmakers will still shorten the Vols' national title odds if they go down to the wire with Alabama and lose.
That's because a loss this Saturday doesn't affect their SEC Championship path due to Bama being in the West division. Tennessee's national title hopes mostly come down to an East division showdown next month in Athens with the defending national champion Georgia Bulldogs.
"If the Vols don't beat Georgia, forget it," the bettor said. "That's their season."
