College Football Picks: Tennessee vs. Illinois Music City Bowl Best Bets
As the New Year starts to creep up on us, we begin to get into some of the more interesting bowl games. Both Illinois and Tennessee finished their season with 8-4 records and were near the top of their conferences, just outside of the College Football Playoff picture. One of the major factors in this game will be the status of many key players on both teams, as there are a number of players with NFL Draft futures.
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Opt Outs
Tennessee
Jermod McCoy, DB: McCoy had already missed the entirety of the season after tearing his ACL last January but would have been able to play in this one. McCoy, a star corner a year ago, has decided to turn his attention to draft prep rather than give it one last go.
Colton Hood, DB: Hood spent the season as the team's top corner.
Joshua Josephs, DL: Josephs finished the season as the Vols' third leading player in TFLs and second leading sack getter.
Arion Carter, LB: Carter was the Vols' leading tackler for the season.
Chris Brazzell, WR: Brazzell led the Vols in receiving and touchdown catches on the year.
Illinois
Gabe Jacas, LB: Jacas finished the season as the Big Ten's leading sacker with 11 sacks and was First Team All-Conference.
J.C. Davis, LT: Davis was the team's starting left tackle and also finished the season as a First Team All-Big Ten selection.
Matthew Bailey, S: Bailey finished the season as the Illini's leading tackler.
Tennessee vs. Illinois Betting Odds for the Music City Bowl
Spread: Tennessee -2.5 (FanDuel Sportsbook); Illinois +3 (DraftKings Sportsbook)
Moneyline: Tennessee -146 (FanDuel Sportsbook); Illinois +129 (Caesars Sportsbook)
Total: Over 61.5 (Caesars Sportsbook); Under 62.5 (FanDuel Sportsbook)
Tennessee vs. Illinois Betting Picks for the Music City Bowl
Tennessee, on the season, has had a tale of two sides of the ball. The Vols had one of the best offenses in the SEC while having one of the worst defenses in the SEC. Tennessee was the SEC's top scoring offense with 40.8 points per game, second in total offense with 482 yards per game and second in passing with 307.2 yards per game. Meanwhile, the defense finished third to last in scoring defense and total defense, allowing an average of 28.8 points per game and 395.3 yards per game. The Vols were especially susceptible to the pass as they finished the season second to last in the SEC, allowing an average of 248.6 yards per game through the air.
A similar theme can be seen for the Illini as they were fairly average offensively in the Big Ten while being underwhelming defensively. Illinois finished the season ninth (out of 18) in the Big Ten in total offense and seventh in scoring offense, averaging 370.3 yards per game and 29.3 points per game. On the defensive side, the Illini finished the season 13th in the Big Ten in total defense and scoring defense, allowing an average of 350.7 yards per game and 23.3 points per game. One additional indicator for this one is how poor the Illini were against the pass this season, as they finished the year 16th in the Big Ten against the pass, allowing an average of 226.5 yards per game through the air.
Tennessee vs. Illinois Expert Pick for the Music City Bowl: Over 61.5 (Caesars Sportsbook)
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Tennessee vs. Illinois Predictions for the Music City Bowl
With so much going on with these rosters due to opt-outs, it is hard to pinpoint a sure-fire play. However, one major thing for both teams is that they will be playing without their top tacklers and top defensive linemen. This will likely give each quarterback some added time in the pocket and make things tougher on these defenses in the open field. With so much up in the air, let's play the over and hope for an exciting game.
Tennessee 37, Illinois 34
Tennessee vs. Illinois Player Props for Tuesday, December 30th
Luke Altmyer, QB, Illinois - Over 238.5 Passing Yards (Underdog)
With the struggles of the Tennessee defense throughout the season, as well as the number of opt-outs for the Vols, I would expect the veteran quarterback to have an easy day on his way to his seventh game with over 238 yards passing.
