Vegas sends early message with Tennessee–Alabama opening odds

The Tennessee Vols have a big season coming up in the Josh Heupel era. The program is at a crossroads: is Tennessee a legitimate contender, or is it simply a consistently above-average program that can never quite get over the hump? I’m not suggesting that Heupel is on the hot seat by any means, but a portion of the fan base is becoming frustrated with what they view as the “averageness” of the program under Heupel. They must have forgotten what the Jeremy Pruitt era of Tennessee football looked like.

Tennessee not getting enough credit for one of the toughest schedules in the country

Here's the thing: Tennessee is still viewed as an underdog to Alabama, even in Year 6 under Josh Heupel, but the gap is narrowing by a lot. DraftKings recently released odds for some of this season’s college football games, and the Vols are listed as 1.5-point home underdogs against the Tide on October 17.

Game odds refresh periodically and are subject to change.

Tennessee is a underdog to Alabama once again

What stands out the most, however, is that despite both teams breaking in new quarterbacks, Vegas views them as very similar heading into the season. Vols fans probably won’t like still being the underdog to Kalen DeBoer, but it makes sense. Alabama brings back a large portion of a very good secondary from last year’s defense, and the Crimson Tide’s pass rush should remain highly competitive.

Tennessee’s quarterback battle between George MacIntyre and Faizon Brandon is one of the most talked-about storylines in college football right now. Perhaps the biggest takeaway is that down in Tuscaloosa, Bama is dealing with its own battle between Austin Mack and Keelon Russell, but obviously, Vegas doesn't see them as significantly better than MacIntyre or Brandon. The Tide have a loaded group of wide receivers and should be able to run the ball effectively, but there are still some concerns about the offensive line. Because of that, Tennessee doesn’t feel too far behind Alabama on offense, as long as the Vols get consistent quarterback play.

The biggest factor may be how quickly the Knowles defense develops. If that unit takes a major leap in Year 1, Tennessee has the potential to be one of the SEC’s most dangerous teams. The linebacker room is already among the nation’s best, and the influx of talent in the secondary gives the Vols a chance to field one of the most improved defensive backfields in college football. Growing pains are inevitable, but by the time Tennessee faces Alabama, the expectation is that those issues will be largely ironed out. If the pass rush can hold up its end of the bargain, I like Tennessee's odds.

We still have a long way to go, as the game isn’t until the middle of October, and a lot can happen between now and then. But as it stands in early June, Tennessee and Alabama are viewed by the sportsbooks as neck-and-neck teams. If Josh Heupel wins this game, it could be a very loud statement.

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