No, Georgia fans, the sky isn’t falling. After getting drubbed at home by Alabama last week for their first loss of the year, the Bulldogs are not in a free-fall and still control their own destiny in the SEC East. Out of all the FBS teams, six have led every game by at least 13 points. Tennessee is one of them. The Vols are 2-3. Everybody else is 20-0. These are frustrating times on Rocky Top.
ODDS
Georgia opened as a 2.5-point favorite with the total at 57. It seems like a puzzling line, but maybe Vegas thinks the Vols will play with a will to win since it is a must-win game for them. The line was wagered to -3 while the total has fallen to 55.5.
KEY MISMATCH
There was perhaps no SEC player with as much fanfare surrounding him entering the season than Georgia’s Nick Chubb. While LSU’s Leonard Fournette may be having a better season so far, Chubb is still a massive star. Georgia’s offensive coordinator Brian Schottenheimer needs to look no further than the Arkansas game film to see exactly how the Dawgs need to attack when they travel to Neyland Stadium. Georgia didn’t run the ball as much as it should have through the first three quarters against Alabama and it burned them. Chubb ran for 146 yards against Bama, scoring the only touchdown on an 83-yard run. He averages 149 yards a game to rank third nationally, with 8.2 yards per carry. Georgia’s second-string back is pretty good, too. Sony Michel has amassed 276 yards on a 6.7 average with four scores and can beat teams in a variety of ways. Arkansas gave the Vols a steady dose of the run game and it thrived behind that massive offensive line. Georgia’s line isn’t that good, but its backs may be better. The Dawgs need to run the football a lot.
KEY STAT
+4 – Tennessee’s turnover margin. The Vols are third in the SEC in turnover margin and have just three giveaways on the year. Georgia has seven giveaways this season and needs to hold on to the football to avoid another loss.
BETTING ANGLE
If you lay some coin on Tennessee, don’t get too excited if the Vols take an early lead. There have been only 17 games all season in which a FBS team lost after leading by at least 13 points. Tennessee has dropped three of them. The Vols grabbed a 17-0 advantage over Oklahoma in the first 18 minutes and still led 24-10 in the fourth quarter before falling 31-24 in overtime. They lost 28-27 at Florida by allowing two touchdowns in the last five minutes. Tennessee led Arkansas 14-0 in the first quarter last week before falling 24-20. The tailspin leaves Tennessee needing to make a second half surge for the second straight season. Last year, the Vols started out 3-5 before winning four of their last five games to end a string of four straight losing seasons. The recent history of the rivalry suggests this game could come down to whether the Vols improve their fourth-quarter performance.
ANALYSIS AND PREDICTION
It’s been a frustrating season so far for Tennessee, having led every game but posting just a 2-3 record. They blew leads in both SEC games, falling by a point at Florida and losing by four at home to Arkansas last week. The Vols are close, but being close doesn’t get it done in the meat-grinder SEC. They couldn’t get off the field in those two conference games, surrendering five fourth-down conversions to the Gators and not making key plays last week. The Dawgs will be content to pound the rock with Chubb and Michel. Quarterback Greyson Lambert struggled against the Tide and was yanked in favor of Brice Ramsey. Coach Mark Richt said Lambert will start, and he faces a secondary not nearly as good as Bama’s Although Georgia has beaten Tennessee five straight times, each of the last two games in the series have been decided by only three points. That won’t happen this time around.
Georgia 31, Tennessee 20
BookMaker opened the spread for this game at -2.5 in favor of the Bulldogs. The NCAA lines total surfaced at 57. Now you can wager in-game while the action unfolds with BookMaker's live betting option.
Load your betting bankroll from your smartphone or tablet with BookMaker’s new cashier feature! Depositing and withdrawing funds from your account has never been easier. BookMaker's live betting platform means you always have access to odds and lines to every sporting event. Click here and start wagering today! The matchup between the Georgia Bulldogs and Tennessee Volunteers will take place Saturday, October 10, 2015, at 3:30 p.m. ET at Neyland Stadium. The matchup will be televised live on CBS.
