Tennessee football opens as big favorite against Chattanooga

It's officially game week, and the Tennessee football season is only days away. The Vols' first game is on Saturday. Tennessee will host Chattanooga to open the season in Neyland Stadium. 

The beginning of the Nico Iamaleava era is expected to get off to the right start, with Las Vegas oddsmakers making the Vols heavy favorites against the Mocs. Tennessee opens as 38.5-point favorites, and the point total has been set at 56.5, which isn't surprising. 

Josh Heupel's explosive offense creates endless opportunities for Tennessee's offense to find the endzone. The combination of veterans with new additions through the transfer portal should allow for the Vols to take full advantage of every opportunity Chattanooga gives them. 

Chattanooga isn't a slouch. The Mocs went 8-5 last season and 6-2 in the Southern Conference. They were eliminated in the second round of the FCS playoffs by Furman, which lost to Montana in the quarterfinals. 

The Mocs come into the season ranked inside the top ten in FCS rankings at No. 8, while the Vols are ranked No. 15 in the preseason AP Poll ahead of week one. Chattanooga will be looking to upset the Vols as they continue to build towards an FCS Championship, while the Vols hope to break into the College Football Playoffs for the first time. 

Nico is expected to have a strong season as the Vols' first-year quarterback. The redshirt freshman handled business against Iowa in the Citrus Bowl and helped Tennessee get the win 35-0, but will now have to lead the Vols through the guantlet SEC schedule. 

Tennessee and Chattanooga will kick off at 12:45 PM ET on the SEC Network. Josh Heupel and the Vols look to open the season right with a win over UT-Chatt.