Tennessee football: Week 3 SEC and top 25 picks and bets
Stanford Cardinal at Vanderbilt Commodores
Saturday, Sept. 18 at 8 p.m. ET; Vanderbilt Stadium; Nashville, Tenn.
Line: Stanford -12; Over/Under: 49
Moneyline: Stanford -450; Vanderbilt +340
Just when you were ready to write of the Vanderbilt Commodores and Clark Lea, they score a huge road win over the Colorado State Rams. Perhaps this team is in better shape than we thought and truly is improving. Is that a dangerous sign for Tennessee football? It might be. After all, a road win like that could be just the momentum Vandy needs.
Well, this week, Vandy gets to host the program that it’s tried to model itself after for years. David Shaw and the Stanford Cardinal are coming off a huge win at the USC Trojans, one that got Clay Helton fired. However, they lost their opener 24-7 to the Kansas State Wildcats, so we don’t know what to make of this team.
Prediction
This spread is an overreaction to Vandy’s win. They beat a team that also lost to an FCS program, and they still lost 23-3 to the East Tennessee State Buccaneers. Yes, Stanford struggled against KSU, but they are 2-0. So take the Cardinal to cover here, even on the road. Meanwhile, the game will hit the under. That’s the easiest bet here.
Stanford: 27 Vanderbilt: 10 (Stanford -12; Under 49)