Tennessee football: SEC and top 25 picks and gambling bets for Week 1 of 2021
Kent State Golden Flashes at No. 6 Texas A&M Aggies (ESPNU)
Saturday, Sept. 4 at 8 p.m. ET; Kyle Field; College Station, Texas
Line: Texas A&M -28.5; Over/Under: 67.5
The last time Tennessee football played was a 34-13 loss to the Texas A&M Aggies. That was also the same day that the NCAA violation allegations leaked, which eventually led to Jeremy Pruitt’s firing a month later. A&M, meanwhile, is thinking about other things, in particular Jimbo Fisher finally hoping to get the best of Nick Saban.
This year, Fisher is loaded with talent but has to replace Kellen Mond at quarterback. He’s actually got a good first test against a Kent State Golden Flashes team that went 3-1 last year after going 7-6 the year before.
Entering his fourth season on the job, Sean Lewis will be looking to take Kent State to another level. He’s actually running a solid program there, and Texas A&M is a great first test for his squad. After all, it’s a powerhouse program that has some attrition.
Prediction
Make no mistake, Texas A&M will win this game. They will actually dominate. However, Kent State is a program on the rise, and that will be enough for them to cover here. A&M will have some early struggles at quarterback, and that’s why this game will hit the under. Fisher’s Aggies won’t score enough to cover, but there won’t be any concern.
Texas A&M: 41 Kent State: 17 (Kent State +28.5; Under 67.5)