2022 Tennessee Volunteers Betting Odds, Picks & Predictions

Daniel Dobish Sports Betting Expert

3 minute read

2022 TENNESSEE VOLUNTEERS BETTING ODDS, PREDICTIONS, PREVIEW

Is Tennessee football back? Well, head coach Josh Heupel took the reins last season and steered the team to seven victories before an entertaining Music City Bowl loss to Purdue in overtime, 48-45. The Vols might not necessarily be back after years of underachieving under Lane Kiffin, Derek Dooley, Butch Jones and Jeremy Pruitt, but Heupel appears to have them on the right trajectory.

The good news for Tennessee football is that renovations are underway at Neyland Stadium, and 15 starters return from last season's surprising team. QB Hendon Hooker and WR Cedric Tillman are among those starters. Hooker completed 69.0% of his passes for 2,567 yards, 26 touchdowns and just three interceptions in the regular season while running for 557 yards and five scores, while throwing for 378 yards and five TDs in the bowl. Tillman pulled down 57 receptions for 931 yards and nine scores, making them a potent pass-catch combo. He'll likely be joined by WR Ramel Keyton on the outside.

Updated on 11/21/2024

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The coaching staff is mostly intact from last season's winning campaign, too, as only wide receivers coach Kodi Burns departed for a job in the NFL. One of Burns' pupils, WR Jalin Hyatt, will get another chance to step in and step up at the slot, while WRs Jimmy Calloway, Walker Merrill and Squirrel White also battle for touches.

The Vols had some issues in the secondary, and that was evident in the bowl loss in Nashville. In fact, Tennessee was 14th in the SEC, or last, in pass defense, while checking in 122nd in the nation. That simply won't do. Even Vanderbilt was better. To make matters worse, the team's most effective DBs, Theo Jackson and Alontae Taylor, have moved along. CB Dee Williams is a JUCO transfer who figures to play a big role from the jump.

The schedule isn't terribly daunting early on, and a 2-1 or 3-0 start is certainly expected before things get real with conference play. The Vols get SEC East combatants Florida and Kentucky at home, while road trips to Georgia and South Carolina won't be easy. The Vols also host Alabama in a crossover game, and travel to LSU, and that could be quite daunting. Still, this is a team which will win at least seven games, but that secondary is concern enough to make playing the Under quite a value.

Best Bet: Tennessee Under 7.5 Wins (+110)

2022 TENNESSEE VOLUNTEERS SCHEDULE

• Thu., Sept. 1 - vs. Ball State
• Sat., Sept. 10 - at Pittsburgh
• Sat., Sept. 17 - vs. Akron
• Sat., Sept. 24 - vs. Florida
• Sat., Oct. 8 - at LSU
• Sat., Oct. 15 - vs. Alabama
• Sat., Oct. 22 - vs. UT-Martin
• Sat., Oct. 29 - vs. Kentucky
• Sat., Nov. 5 - at Georgia
• Sat., Nov. 12 - vs. Missouri
• Sat., Nov. 19 - at South Carolina
• Sat., Nov. 26 - at Vanderbilt

WIN TOTAL ODDS

• Over 7.5 (-140)
• Under 7.5 (+110)

TENNESSEE VOLUNTEERS ODDS TO WIN SEC CHAMPIONSHIP

+4000

The Vols have some nice pieces in place, particularly in the pass game. However, there are just too many question marks at some other skill positions, as well as in the defensive backfield, plus the fact Tennessee has to contend with the defending national champion Georgia Bulldogs, an improved Florida Gators team, an underrated Kentucky Wildcats side and a South Carolina Gamecocks team on the rise. If Tennessee can be an upper-division team in the SEC East, they'd really be doing something, but they're not going to finish at the top.

TENNESSEE VOLUNTEERS ODDS TO WIN NATIONAL CHAMPIONSHIP

+12500

The Vols will have enough of a hard time trying to lock down bowl eligibility. They're not an undefeated or one-loss team capable of making a run to the College Football Playoff, however. Don't waste your good money on a Vols national title shot. It ain't happening.

TENNESSEE VOLUNTEERS 2022 HEISMAN CONTENDERS & ODDS

Hendon Hooker (QB) +5000

Hooker made very few miscues last season, and he gets his top receiver back in the mix. He and Tillman jelled really nicely, and could be one of the top pass-catch combos in the SEC East. However, Hooker is unlikely to post eye-popping stats on the regular, especially with games against lockdown defenses like Bama and UGA derailing any minimal chances of a Heisman.

2021 TENNESSEE VOLUNTEERS BETTING RESULTS

• SU: 7-6
• ATS: 5-8
• O/U: 10-3
• ATS-Home: 3-5
• ATS-Road: 2-3
• ATS-Favorite: 4-3
• ATS-Underdog: 1-5

MORE CONFERENCE ODDS

Daniel Dobish

Dan is a handicapper and sports betting expert for VegasInsider with years of experience writing for a number of top publications in the industry. More from Daniel Dobish