Vanderbilt will hit the road and face Tennessee in Knoxville on Saturday in a massive rivalry game.
A win for the Commodores would mean their first-ever 10-win season. It would also boost Diego Pavia’s Heisman Trophy candidacy as he seeks an invitation to New York City for the final ceremony.
Tennessee is fighting for a chance at winning 10 games once again under Josh Heupel. The Vols are 8-3 this season, but could get to double digits with a win over Vandy and then a bowl game victory.
Vanderbilt vs. Tennessee odds
Here’s a look at the up-to-date college football betting odds for this game:
Here’s what you need to know before betting on this game:
Tennessee football notes
- Tennessee is coming off of a 31-11 shellacking of Florida in the Swamp last week.
- The Vols were able to dominate that game on third down. They went 9/13 on third down and held the ball for nearly 35 minutes of game time.
- Florida’s offense managed over 5 yards per play, but much of that production came in the second half when the outcome of the game was no longer in doubt.
- Tennessee has enjoyed its best offensive season since 2022 when Hendon Hooker led one of the most explosive attacks in the country. The Vols rank No. 10 nationally success rate, per Game on Paper.
- Quarterback Joey Aguilar has been very effective. He’s second in the SEC in passer efficiency rating and yards per attempt. He also leads the SEC in total passing yards.
- Tennessee’s receivers are elite. Chris Brazzell has been Tennessee’s best pass catcher this season. He leads the SEC in receiving yards this year with 926 but was snubbed from the list of Biletnikoff Award finalists earlier this week.
- Tennessee’s defense has fallen well below preseason expectations, particularly against the run. The Vols are 130th nationally in rush defense success rate, per Game on Paper.
- The Vols’ secondary did have a strong game against Florida last weekend. Per CFB-Graphs, Tennessee registered a negative EPA-per-drop-back allowed.
Attention Tennessee residents: Looking for a new sportsbook? Here’s SDS’s full breakdown of all the best Tennessee betting apps on the market in 2025!
Vanderbilt football notes
- Vanderbilt crushed Kentucky 45-17 last weekend in its final home game of the season. Diego Pavia had his best-ever game, throwing for a school-record 484 yards and 5 touchdown passes.
- Pavia enters Week 14 as a top 5 candidate for the Heisman Trophy. He leads the SEC in passer efficiency rating at 174.17. Pavia is also a major threat with his legs as he’s rushed for 661 yards through 11 games.
- Vanderbilt’s offense as a whole is elite. The Commodores rank No. 2 nationally in EPA per play, according to Game on Paper.
- Vandy’s rushing offense is led by Pavia and Sedrick Alexander, who is averaging almost 5 yards per carry this season. However, he had just 7 yards on 4 carries in Vandy’s most recent outing against Kentucky.
- Tre Richardson and Junior Sherrill are both capable of making Tennessee’s secondary pay for any lapses in coverage. Tight end Eli Stowers is also one of the best in the country at his position.
- Vandy’s defense has been a weakness this year, particularly against the pass. The Commodores rank 128th nationally in EPA-per-pass allowed, according to Game on Paper.
- Vanderbilt’s rushing defense has been solid, though. The Commodores are 8th in the SEC in yards per carry allowed and tied for first in the league in rushing touchdowns conceded.
Vanderbilt vs. Tennessee picks
Josh Heupel has consistently had Clark Lea’s number in this series over the last few years. The Vols have always put up points on Vandy even when Tennessee’s offense wasn’t all that special. I think we’ll see more of the same this week, particularly with how Vandy’s defense has struggled against the pass this season. The Commodores are 15th in pass defense efficiency rating entering this weekend. Aguilar and these Tennessee wide receivers are extremely effective and I think they’ll put up a lot of points on Saturday against Vandy.
Pick: Tennessee team total over 34.5 points (-110 on DraftKings)
Along those same lines, I think there’s value on Chris Brazzell II to find the end zone this week. Brazzell has 8 touchdowns on the season but only has 1 touchdown in his last 6 games. And it’s not for lack of trying — Brazzell leads Tennessee in deep and intermediate targets over that span. Given Vandy’s issues in the secondary and Tennessee’s downfield aggressiveness with Brazzell, I think he’s a great candidate for a big-play TD on Saturday.
Pick: Chris Brazzell anytime TD (-105 on BetMGM)
Spenser is a news editor for Saturday Down South and covers college football across all Saturday Football brands.
