Tennessee Volunteers Football Odds
Tennessee is in the heart of football country, and the Volunteers are the state’s best-known and most successful NCAA team. This year the Vols began their 122nd season as one of the most storied programs in college football history. Tennessee is ranked 10th in wins (846), 11th in win-loss percentage (.674), and tied for fourth in bowl appearances (53).
The second-winningest team in SEC history behind Alabama, Tennessee has consistently fielded a national contender, although their last NCAA title came in 1998. Last year ended on a high note for Tennessee with an exciting 23-22 Gator Bowl victory versus Indiana to end the season with a six-game winning streak.
Head coach Jeremy Pruitt returns for his third season along with a top-ranked recruiting class, meaning Vols fans have high hopes for the team to build on last year’s success. What should we expect to see from the Vols this year? Here’s a guide to answer all your Volunteers betting questions for the season.
Top Vols football betting apps
Tennessee is a unique state with legal sports betting. Since there are no casinos in the state, there are no retail sportsbooks either, which means all sports betting in TN is online. As a result, you’ll want to become familiar with the best TN sports betting apps with which to make your bets on the Vols.
The following three apps are favorites in other states with legalized wagering. They make it convenient to use your mobile device to bet on the Vols. One note worth pointing out, in Tennessee, live or in-game prop betting is not allowed on college sports. That means that option will not be available to you when betting on the Vols with these apps. Neither will prop bets on individual collegiate athletes.
1. DraftKings Sportsbook App
An established giant in daily fantasy sports, DraftKings also operates popular sportsbooks in many states. In fact, many sports bettors name it their favorite sports betting app. DraftKings offers numerous promotions for college sports bettors, including Sportsbook Missions that give users regular rewards and other offers.
2. FanDuel Sportsbook App
Also coming to sports betting via daily fantasy sports, FanDuel has become a major player with a popular online sportsbook app of its own. Among FanDuel’s usual bonuses and promotions is a Multi-Sport Parlay Insurance promo. With this, college football bettors can pair an NCAA bet with one or more bets on a different sport and get up to $25 back if all but one of their picks is correct.
3. BetMGM Sportsbook App
The BetMGM online sportsbook offers its users all the great options and advantages found in MGM properties’ retail sportsbooks. Like other online sportsbooks, BetMGM has several ongoing promotions that college sports bettors can enjoy. One is a Multi-Sport Parlay Boost which pays out up to 40% more in profits on qualifying parlays.
What’s the spread on the next Vols game?
Check our odds feed below for the best odds on the spread, moneyline and totals odds for the next Volunteers game. Click on any odds to go directly to the sportsbook, claim your bonus and bet the game.
Vols Odds to Win SEC/National Title
Check our odds feed below for the latest futures odds at TN online sportsbooks on the Volunteers winning the SEC or the National Championship. Click the odds to go directly to the sportsbook to make your bet.
Vols football key info
- Campus: Knoxville, Tennessee
- Stadium: Neyland Stadium, capacity 102,455
- Coach: Jeremy Pruitt, 3rd season
- Conference: Southeastern Conference (SEC)
- Division: SEC East
- 2019-20 record: 8-5, third in SEC East
- All-time record: 846-383-53 (.674)
- Bowl record: 29-24 (.547)
- Conference titles: 16
- Rivals: Alabama Crimson Tide, Florida Gators, Georgia Bulldogs, Kentucky Wildcats, Vanderbilt Commodores
2020 Tennessee Volunteers football schedule
| Week | Date | Opponent |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Sept. 26 | at South Carolina |
| 2 | Oct. 3 | vs. Missouri |
| 3 | Oct. 10 | at Georgia |
| 4 | Oct. 17 | vs. Kentucky |
| 5 | Oct. 24 | vs. Alabama |
| 6 | Oct. 31 | Off |
| 7 | Nov. 7 | at Arkansas |
| 8 | Nov. 14 | vs. Texas A&M |
| 9 | Nov. 21 | at Auburn |
| 10 | Nov. 28 | at Vanderbilt |
| 11 | Dec. 5 | vs. Florida |
How to bet on Vols football in Tennessee
Betting on college football adds an extra layer of excitement to watching the games. Here is a quick guide to some standard NCAA football bets that you can make when betting on the Volunteers.
Permitted Tennessee Volunteers bets
- Moneylines: Making a “straight up” bet on whether TN will win or lose. TN online sportsbooks will post moneyline odds on Vols games, presenting them as either a negative number (for favorites) or a positive number (for underdogs). The numbers tell you how much you’ll win. For instance, if the Vols are a -120 favorite, that means if you bet $120 you will win $100. Meanwhile if the Vols are a +140 underdog, that means if you bet $100 you will win $140.
- Point spreads: Placing a bet on the game’s outcome that accounts for the point spread set by the sportsbook. For example, say you make a point spread bet on Tennessee in a game in which they are a 4.5-point favorite (-4.5). Tennessee will have to win by more than 4.5 points in order for you to win your bet.
- Over/under bets: Betting on whether the total points scored by both teams in a TN game will go over or under a number set by the sportsbook.
- Futures: Betting on outcomes to be determined at a future date, such as on whether or not TN will win the SEC or make the College Football Playoff.
- Parlays: Combining multiple bets into a single bet, all of which have to be correct for you to win the bet.
Prohibited Tennessee Volunteers bets
There are a couple of other types of college football bets that are not allowed in Tennessee. These include:
- No individual props: TN sports betting law prohibits betting on “individual actions, events, statistics, occurrences, or non-occurrences” during college sports. That means you cannot bet on individual props like how many yards a running back will gain or how many touchdowns a quarterback will throw.
- No in-game prop wagering: TN law also prohibits live or in-game prop wagering on college sports, both on teams and individuals. You cannot bet on how the next play will turn out or place other in-game prop bets on Vols football. However, you can make live bets on pro sports like the NFL.
2020 Vols football preseason forecast
Tennessee finished last year strong with five-straight regular season wins and a sixth win in a bowl game. Fans and commentators believe TN will carry that success over into 2020. Of course, playing in the SEC, the nation’s toughest conference, will bring significant challenges for TN as usual.
Most are picking Tennessee to finish third in the SEC East behind Florida and Georgia. That’s exactly where they ended up a year ago — third in the division, and behind those same two teams. However, uncertainty at the quarterback position is keeping high hopes for 2020 in check for now.
TN Vols Heisman Trophy candidates
Tennessee has never had a player win the Heisman Trophy, not even Peyton Manning. Manning finished sixth, eighth, and second in the Heisman voting during his last three years at Tennessee.
It will be a long shot again this year for any Volunteer to win the Heisman. Three top candidates are:
- Jarrett Guarantano (quarterback) – After an iffy start last season, Guarantano finished strong, leading the team to a Gator Bowl win.
- Brian Maurer (quarterback) – Maurer had taken over the starting job last year until an injury forced him to the sidelines.
- Trey Smith (offensive lineman) – Linemen never win the Heisman, of course. Just three have finished runner-up in the voting since the award debuted in 1935. Still, All-SEC offensive lineman Smith is widely recognized as among college football’s top talent.
2020 Tennessee Volunteers football recruiting
Most pundits rank Tennessee’s incoming class of recruits as one of the strongest in the nation for 2020, and those who look further ahead have them ranked even higher in 2021.
Here are five recruits who have earned a lot of attention among those, among them is quarterback Harrison Bailey who some think might challenge for the starting job.
- Harrison Bailey (quarterback), Marietta, GA
- Keshawn Lawrence (safety), Nashville, TN
- Omari Thomas (defensive tackle), Memphis, TN
- Malachi Wideman (wide receiver), Venice, FL
- Tyler Baron (defensive end), Knoxville, TN
Vols football betting tips and strategy
When betting on the Tennessee Volunteers in 2020, keep in mind how college football differs from the NFL.
For one thing, there are more big mismatches in college football. Since players are younger and of varying degrees of experience, you’ll see more mistakes in college than in the pros.
College football also involves a lot more teams and thus more information to study than with the NFL. While the NFL has only 32 teams, the Division I Football Bowl Subdivision (FBS) in which Tennessee plays has 130 teams.
With so many more teams to cover, sportsbooks aren’t as consistently good at making lines as they are with the NFL. That means if you study enough, you can find some good betting opportunities.
Here are a few Tennessee stats worth knowing about as you start thinking about making bets this season.
2019-2020 Vols record against the spread (ATS)
Tennessee was 7-6 against the spread last year, although they were 6-2 ATS in their last eight games.
2019-2020 Vols team stats
- Points per game: 24.2 (98th out of 130 FBS teams)
- Total yards per game: 365.5 yards (100th out of 130)
- Points allowed per game: 21.7 (29th out of 130)
- Total yards allowed per game: 334.5 yards (23rd out of 130)
- Over/under (totals): 4-9
Tennessee Vols recent records
- 2019: 8-5, 5-3 SEC East (3rd), won Gator Bowl
- 2018: 5-7, 2-6 SEC East (7th)
- 2017: 4-8, 0-8 SEC East (7th)
- 2016: 9-4, 4-4 SEC East (tied 2nd), won Music City Bowl
- 2015: 9-4, 5-3 SEC East (tied 2nd), won Outback Bowl
Tennessee Vols recent results versus rivals
| Alabama | Florida | Georgia | Kentucky | Vanderbilt | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2019 | L 13-35 | L 3-34 | L 14-43 | W 17-13 | W 28-10 |
| 2018 | L 21-58 | L 21-47 | L 12-38 | W 24-7 | L 13-38 |
| 2017 | L 7-45 | L 20-26 | L 0-41 | L 26-29 | L 24-42 |
| 2016 | L 10-49 | W 38-28 | W 34-31 | W 49-36 | L 34-45 |
| 2015 | L 14-19 | L 27-28 | W 38-31 | W 52-21 | W 53-28 |
Vols football live stream/TV
Tennessee Volunteers football games can be seen via the ESPN networks, in particular via the SEC Network. You can watch the games on the air or live streamed using the WatchESPN app.
The Vol Network is the team’s radio broadcast holder, with more than 60 affiliates.
Top 5 Tennessee Vols Players of all time
Such lists always spark debate about who got in and who got left out, but here are five players all Tennessee Volunteer fans remember as being among the best to wear orange and white.
- Doug Atkins: The legendary defensive end originally came to UT to play basketball, then led the Vols to a national championship in 1951.
- Travis Henry: The All-American and All-SEC running back led Tennessee’s charge to an undefeated season and national championship in 1998.
- Johnny Majors: The All-American running back during the 1950s who then returned to coach UT for 16 seasons from the late 1970s to early 1990s. He probably also should have won the Heisman in 1956 (he finished runner-up).
- Peyton Manning: The best quarterback in Vols history, he broke dozens of records for Tennessee, the SEC, and NCAA before embarking on a Hall of Fame NFL career.
- Reggie White: One of the best defensive players ever, he set the sacks record at Tennessee before a long NFL career where he retired having set the sacks record there, too.
Tennessee Volunteers football history
The University of Tennessee began fielding a football team in 1891, and in over 120 years of action, has sent the team to bowl games more than 50 times, won 16 conference championships, and six national titles, the latest coming in 1998.
No less than 24 coaches and players who played for Tennessee are in the College Football Hall of Fame, the seventh-most among major college teams. That group includes two Pro Football Hall of Famers, Doug Atkins and Reggie White, and a future one, too, in Peyton Manning.
Two Tennessee Vols have been inducted into the College Football Hall of Fame both as a player and as a coach — Bobby Dodd and Bowden Wyatt. Johnny Majors is in as a player and also had a remarkable career as the UT coach.
Tennessee Volunteers Football FAQ
When did the Vols start wearing orange?
From the very beginning, when one of the team’s players for the first team in 1891 picked orange and white for the team colors.
When did the Vols put in the checkerboard end zone?
The famous orange-and-white checkerboard end zone was first introduced at Neyland Stadium in 1964. After being discontinued in 1968, it was brought back in 1989 and has been used ever since.
Who is the best Vols football player of all time?
Some might argue for Johnny Majors, but the consensus is quarterback Peyton Manning (1994-1997) is the best player ever to play for UT.
Have any Tennessee Vols won the Heisman?
No, they have not. In fact, UT has had players finish second in the Heisman Trophy four times. Running backs Frank Lauricella (1951) and Johnny Majors (1956) both finished runner-up, as did quarterbacks Heath Shuler (1993) and Peyton Manning (1997).
Where can I find the Tennessee Vols roster for 2020-21?
You can find the Tennessee Volunteers football roster, schedule, and a lot more at the University of Tennessee Athletics website.