In the first couple weeks of college football, a number of teams have looked incredibly impressive. One of these teams is the Tennessee Volunteers. For years, people have been wondering when Tennessee is going to get back to their winning ways of SEC dominance and it looks like this may be a year where they compete for a conference title.
In their way this Saturday is the Akron Zips. The MAC program comes into this game with a 1-1 record and is still looking to get things going in the right direction. It is almost time for conference play to really ramp up, and this will be an important game for both squads to prepare for the rest of their seasons.
Tennessee vs. Akron Week 3 College Football Betting Picks
Tennessee’s Year?
Last week, this Tennessee team came out with a victory in overtime against a very talented Pitt program. To some, this was one of the best games of the year so far, and Tennessee has made a name for themselves early in the season. Quarterback Hendon Hooker had an incredible performance last weekend, throwing for 325 yards and two touchdowns. He also used his legs for 27 yards rushing. This is going to be an offense that leans on Hooker to be a leader for them this year.
The Tennessee defense has also been able to complement the offense well by recording four sacks and forcing five turnovers. This is a Tennessee team that has returned eight offensive starters and seven defensive starters this season for head coach Josh Heupel. It is a different mood in Knoxville this season, and there are very high expectations for the Volunteers.
Zips Need a Push
This Akron team comes into this contest with a major challenge. Their 1-1 start isn’t the worst, but it comes with squeaking by an FCS team in their first game and getting absolutely demolished by Michigan State last weekend 52-0. The offense has had a lot of trouble getting things going, and the defense has not gotten enough stops when they have needed to, but there isn’t any reason they can’t turn this season into something to be proud of.
Joe Moorhead’s squad finished 2-10 last season, but they have returned eight offensive and eight defensive starters. This is a group that has brought back experience and looks to turn the corner this season. The Zips come in far less talented than Tennessee, but they will look to swing momentum in their direction early in the game.
Big Win on the Way Saturday
Tennessee is poised for an incredible season, and the entire country should take notice if they haven’t already. Hooker has been a very bright spot for the Volunteers, and the entire team has been feeding off of his leadership. The Volunteers are currently 46.5-point favorites against Akron this weekend, and the game total is set at 67 points. This game has the makings to go over that 67-point total by the final whistle. Tennessee will take a large lead, and Akron will be forced to play catch-up.
A 46.5-point spread is a lot. This looks like it is going to be a difficult number to hit for Tennessee, as Akron will put up some garbage-time points. With SEC play around the corner, don’t be surprised if Tennessee rests some starts on the back end of this game, which will make the spread even more difficult to hit for the Volunteers. This will be another great opportunity to see this talented Tennessee team go to work and see if they are a legitimate contender this season.
