No. 17 Tennessee vs. No. 11 Alabama picks, best bets for Week 8 matchup

The No. 17 Tennessee Volunteers take on the No. 11 Alabama Crimson Tide in an SEC matchup in Week 8. Kickoff is scheduled for 3:30 p.m. ET on Saturday, Oct. 21 from Bryant-Denny Stadium.

Tennessee (5-1, 2-1 SEC) beat Texas A&M 20-13 in Week 7. Quarterback Joe Milton passed for 100 yards, one touchdown, and one interception, and running back Jaylen Wright added 136 yards on the ground. The Vols defense picked off Max Johnson twice. Tennessee’s sole loss this season was to Florida. Wright has been the center of this Vols offense and has four 100-yard games under his belt already.

Alabama (6-1, 4-0 SEC) grabbed a close win over Arkansas in Week 7, beating the Hogs 24-21. Jalen Milroe was just 10-for-21, but passed for two touchdowns and rushed for a third. Jase McClellan was back on track with 83 rushing yards, and the defense held Arkansas to just 250 total yards of offense. There have been some close calls, but the Tide haven’t lost a game since they fell to Texas in Week 2.

Here’s everything you need to know and a pick for the game.

SP+ Rankings

Tennessee: 12 overall, 18 offense, 15 defense
Alabama: 9 overall, 19 offense, 6 defense

Injury update

Tennessee

RB DeSean Bishop - Out (ankle)
OL Andrej Karic - Questionable (undisclosed)

Alabama

DB Malachi Moore - Questionable (ankle)
TE CJ Dippre - Questionable (leg)

ATS/Total

Against The Spread in 2023

Tennessee: 4-2 ATS
Alabama: 4-3 ATS

Total in 2023

Tennessee: Over 2-3-1
Alabama: Over 4-2-1

Team Pace (through Week 6)

Tennessee: 2.88 plays per minute of offense
Alabama: 2.08 plays per minute of offense

Odds at DraftKings Sportsbook

Spread: Alabama -9
Total: 49
Moneyline: Alabama -345, Tennessee +275

Weather

82 degrees, partly sunny, 8 MPH winds SW with 18 MPH wind gusts

Our Best Bet for Tennessee vs. Alabama

Over 49

I think we’re going to see a fairly high-scoring matchup between these SEC rivals this week. The Crimson Tide’s offensive line has stepped things up and is giving Milroe more time in the pocket, and the Vols’ run game has been unstoppable. I’m predicting a final score around 28-24 here.