Tennessee football: Week 12 SEC and top 25 picks by Caleb Calhoun

Here are Caleb Calhoun’s Week 12 Tennessee football Volunteers, SEC and top 25 picks.

After two byes in three weeks, Tennessee football still has a four-game losing streak and a 2-4 record. Last week, so many postponements meant we only had three games to cover. Here is a look at how I performed in those games.

Week 11 performance

Straight up: 3-0

Gambling picks: 3-3

• 2-1 against the spread
• 1-2 over/under

Overall performance for 2020

Straight up: 41-14

Gambling picks: 59-67

• 25-38 against the spread
• 34-29 over/under

Now, we’ve got a juicy slate of games to pick this week. I haven’t been able to get ahead of the curve, but a strong week this week could get me back on track. Like Tennessee football, I’m trying to turn things around. There are six SEC games for me to pick plus three top 25 games, making for nine overall. Let’s go ahead and get started.

Florida -31.5; Over 67.5

Last week, the Florida Gators allowed 35 points, and the Vanderbilt Commodores scored 35 points against one of the league’s best defenses. Meanwhile, Dan Mullen’s offense keeps lighting up the scoreboard. What does it all mean? Expect a shootout. This game will definitely hit the over, and Florida will continue to cover large spreads.

LSU -2.5; Over 64.5

Coming off another off-week, Ed Orgeron’s LSU Tigers be ready for this one. The offense will come back to life, regardless of who is quarterback, and move the ball on the Arkansas Razorbacks. That will be enough for them to win and cover, but the Hogs, who just dropped 35 points, will score enough on a weak LSU defense for this game to hit the over.

Ohio State -20.5; Over 66.5

It’s crazy that Tennessee football was the Indiana Hoosiers’ last loss. Should they feel disrespected about being undefeated and three-touchdown underdogs to the Ohio State Buckeye? Perhaps, but OSU is loaded. As a result, they’ll cover. However, they’ll allow enough points for this game to hit the over.

Wisconsin -8.5; Over 43.5

Despite two games being canceled, the Wisconsin Badgers look to be completely in rhythm. They have dominated both opponents, while the Northwestern Wildcats keep squeaking by. Expect Wisconsin to finally expose that in this one. They’ll win and cover, but both teams have proven they can score enough for this one to hit a low over.

Alabama -29.5; Under 57.5

This one’s tough. The Kentucky Wildcats did just allow 35 points to the Vanderbilt Commodores. However, they don’t have the offense to score on the Alabama Crimson Tide’s defense. As a result, Nick Saban’s team will cover, and the game will fail to hit the over.

Georgia -24.5; Over 44.5

Could this be another one of those games in which Mike Leach’s Mississippi State Bulldogs pull off a wild upset? Well, even if it is, I’ve given up picking on them to do it. Leach has let me down all year. Georgia covers in this game, but the over/under is so low that it will hit the over.

Missouri -6.5; Over 56.5

Will Muschamp’s ousting makes this game a complete wildcard. However, there is still reason to believe that the Missouri Tigers’ offense is getting better, and we now have evidence that the South Carolina Gamecocks’ defense is falling apart. As a result, Mizzou will cover in this game, and it will also hit the over.

Oklahoma State +7.5; Under 58.5

If you take out that one fluke loss to the Texas Longhorns, the Oklahoma State Cowboys have clearly looked like the better team than the Oklahoma Sooners all year. Although the OU offense has come alive in recent weeks, the OSU offense will be a bit too much. The Cowboys will control the ground game, allowing them to pull off the upset while the game hits the under.

Auburn -10.5; Over 50.5

Nobody should bet on Tennessee football right now. The Auburn Tigers’ offense came alive right before the two weeks off, and it’s likely to continue to come together. As a result, the Vols will lose this one and against the spread, but a couple of defensive lapses will allow them to score enough for the game to hit the over.