Tennessee football vs. Akron: Prediction and odds for Week 3 college football

After covering by half a point last week thanks to winning in overtime at the Pittsburgh Panthers, Tennessee football returns home this week for another matchup against a MAC opponent. Can the Vols cover three weeks in a row? Well, it may be a lot harder this time despite the foe.

Heading into town are the Akron Zips. Led by first-year head coach Joe Moorhead, Akron is 1-1 and coming off a 52-0 loss to the Michigan State Spartans. Their only win is against the Saint Francis Red Flash, an FCS team that went 5-6 last year, and that was 30-23 in overtime.

In their first matchup against a MAC foe, Tennessee football blew out the Ball State Cardinals 59-10 to open up the season. They covered and hit the over in that one. Here is all the information you need to know for their second such matchup.

Tennessee Volunteers vs. Akron Zips odds Week 3

According to WynnBET, Tennessee football enters this game a whopping 47.5-point favorite. The over/under is set at 67, and the moneyline is Tennessee -100000 and Akron +5000. Simply put, the oddsmakers are looking at this as if the Vols are facing an FCS school.

Tennessee Volunteers vs. Akron Zips prediction Week 3

At the beginning of the year, we wrote that Akron would be the easiest opponent the Vols face all year, even easier than their FCS foe, the UT-Martin Skyhawks. Akron is coming off a 1-11 season and in its first year under Moorhead.

Given what we’ve seen from them so far, it seems like a safe bet that they indeed are the worst opponent for the Vols. The question for this spread, though, is how fast do the Vols start. Outside of the interception and touchdown to begin the opener, they’ve been sloppy early.

That’s a far cry from last year, where they would get out in front in the first quarter and try to ride that wave to victory. Slow starts combined with the fact that this is a trap game, right after a big win and right before their SEC opener against the Florida Gators, are things working against UT.

As a result, Tennessee football won’t cover. Take Akron +47.5. If anything this will be because the Vols rest their starters earlier than usual to get ready for SEC play. Akron’s defense is atrocious, but they can move the ball a bit through the air, and UT has a questionable pass defense.

Those specific issues are why Akron will be able to cover, but more than that, they are why you should also take the Over 67. Akron will cover by a good bit of second half offensive plays. The Vols still win with ease, but the score will look something like this: Tennessee 56 Akron 14.