Ride Alabama to Keep it Rolling in SEC Action vs Tennessee

What: Tennessee vs Alabama - CFB Week 8
When: Saturday, October 21st, 3:30 PM ET
Where: Bryant-Denny Stadium, Tuscaloosa, AL

If you're looking for some quality Online college football betting, you better be watching a massive SEC affair on Saturday, October 21st between #17 Tennessee and #11 Alabama. The kick-off is scheduled for 3:30 PM ET at Bryant-Denny Stadium in Tuscaloosa. The Volunteers are coming off a slim 20-13 win over Texas A&M in Week 7, improving to 5-1 in the process. As for the Crimson Tide, they barely beat Arkansas by a score of 24-21 on home soil. This one should be very entertaining. Continue reading for the Tennessee vs Alabama picks.

Before we get into the odds and analysis as to who could come out on top this Saturday, make sure to check out our reviews of the top online sportsbooks.

Tennessee vs Alabama Odds

Team
Tennessee	+265	+285	+275
Alabama	-315	-370	-340

Bama is the favorite here with steep -315 moneyline odds for an implied win probability of 75.90%. Tennessee comes back at +265 and has a 27.40% chance of taking this one. The Tide are laying 8.5 points. The total is set at 49.

The Volunteers actually shocked Alabama last season on the Third Saturday of October, which is the nickname for this rivalry. Prior to that, however, the Crimson Tide had won 15 in a row against Tennessee dating back to 2007.

Can Tennessee do it Again?

Hendon Hooker may not be under center anymore, but Tennessee has another elite quarterback leading the way in Knoxville by the name of Joe Milton. The signal-caller had propelled the Vols to a 5-1 record so far, beating Austin Peay, South Carolina, UTSA, Virginia, and most recently, Texas A&M.

Milton wasn't all that great against the Aggies though, completing just 11 of 22 passes for 100 yards including a TD and interception. Instead, Tennessee relied heavily on their run game, racking up 232 yards on the ground to a mere 54 for Jimbo Fisher's team. Milton rushed for 34 yards on his own, while Jaylen Wright went off for 7.2 yards per carry on 19 rushes. He single-handedly cooked the A&M defense.

The Vols offense is mostly relying on their backfield, who ranks 16th in the nation in rushing. The pass offense isn't too consistent, with Milton throwing for 1,264 yards, 10 touchdowns, and four interceptions for a 61.5 percent completion rate.

The Alabama defense is solid in all facets and does a pretty good job of limiting the damage on the ground. Tennessee's best chance at doing some damage Saturday will be with their running backs, who are the clear bright spot offensively. The Tide know that and you better believe they'll be focused on trying to limit Milton and Wright.

Things Coming Together For Bama

The Crimson Tide might not be the same dominant force of the past, but Nick Saban's squad is still winning games and proving they could be in the mix when it's all said and done. Alabama isn't really flourishing offensively, ranking outside of the top 50 in nearly every notable category. Defense is their strength as previously mentioned, allowing a mere 16 points per game and just 316.6 total yards per contest. This Tide defense is winning them ball games at times.

On Saturday, Bama barely pulled one out against Arkansas. Quarterback Jalen Milroe threw for a pair of TDs but completed just 10 of 21 passes for 238 yards. The run game showed out though, with Jase McClellan and Roydell Williams combining for over 150 yards on the ground. No receiver had more than two catches. Safe to say the backfield was the primary source of offense.

The Crimson Tide are now 6-1, winning five in a row since their shocking loss to Quinn Ewers and Texas in Week 2. They're currently first in the SEC West and sit at 11th in the nation at the moment. The Alabama defense will need to be at their absolute best on Saturday against Tennessee's impressive run attack. That will likely be a difference-maker here. Offensively, Bama's pass and run game will have their work cut out for them. The Vols are allowing just 197.8 yards through the air and only 105.2 yards on the ground per game.

This could be Alabama's toughest matchup left on the schedule, with LSU, Kentucky, Chattanooga, and Auburn up next. Nothing says they will win all of those games, but Saturday will certainly be seen as a difficult one. The home atmosphere does help.