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Tennessee football: Vols, SEC and top 25 picks and bets for Week 0 and Week 1 of 2022

By Caleb Calhoun

The Tennessee football team runs through the T during a NCAA football game against Tennessee Tech at Neyland Stadium in Knoxville, Tenn. on Saturday, Sept. 18, 2021.Kns Tennessee Tenn Tech Football
The Tennessee football team runs through the T during a NCAA football game against Tennessee Tech at Neyland Stadium in Knoxville, Tenn. on Saturday, Sept. 18, 2021.Kns Tennessee Tenn Tech Football /
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Oct 3, 2020; Nashville, Tennessee, USA; LSU Tigers kicks off to Vanderbilt Commodores to start the game at Vanderbilt Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Christopher Hanewinckel-USA TODAY Sports
Oct 3, 2020; Nashville, Tennessee, USA; LSU Tigers kicks off to Vanderbilt Commodores to start the game at Vanderbilt Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Christopher Hanewinckel-USA TODAY Sports /

Elon Phoenix at Vanderbilt Commodores (1-0)

Saturday, Sept. 3 | 7 p.m. ET | SEC Network+/ESPN+ | FirstBankStadium; Nashville, Tenn.

Gambling odds

  • Line: Vanderbilt -20
  • Over/Under: 51.5
  • Moneyline: N/A

Where did that come from? As mentioned on the opening slide, Vanderbilt shocked the world entering Clark Lea’s second season and flat-out destroyed the Hawaii Rainbow Warriors 63-10 last week. They kicked off SEC play for everybody, and after two wins last year, both by a field goal or less, that was a huge shocker.

Obviously, schools like Tennessee football now have to have their eyebrows raised. Maybe Lea is building something. To be fair, Hawaii was loaded with massive issues, but Vandy at least gets to look even better now, as they get their FCS opponent this week. Could they really start 2-0?

Tony Trisciani is coming off his first winning season as head coach of the Elon Phoenix after three years there. He is now looking to take that next step, and a win against what should still be a lower-level FBS program would go a long way towards proving that is happening.

Prediction

Sure, you can take away from Vanderbilt’s dominance by looking at Hawaii’s issues, but it’s hard to say they would follow up doing that to an FBS program by struggling against an FCS program. As a result, the smart play here is still probably taking Vanderbilt to cover and hitting the over with their new-look offense. They’ll give their home crowd something to cheer about now.

Vanderbilt: 52 Elon: 7 (Vanderbilt -20; Over 51.5)

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