3 Best College Football Bets and Player Props for Tennessee at Alabama

There are a few ranked matchups taking place across the SEC landscape in Week 8 of the college football season, but none bigger than the impending showdown between the No. 11 Tennessee Volunteers and the No. 6 Alabama Crimson Tide. Suffering a second conference loss could be a fatal blemish on the Volunteers' resume for the college football playoff while the Crimson Tide are hoping to avoid suffering their first SEC defeat of the season.
With both teams featuring effective aerial attacks, we could be in store for an exciting contest. Ahead of Saturday's 7:30 p.m. ET kickoff, let's take a look at which bets and player props make sense for the much-anticipated clash between Tennessee and Alabama.
All college football betting odds come from FanDuel Sportsbook and may change after this article is published.
Tennessee at Alabama Betting Picks
Alabama -8.5 (-105)
There's a reason why this spread continues to grow in favor of the Crimson Tide as kickoff approaches. Aside from Tennessee playing just their second road game of the season, Alabama has the edge at quarterback, with Ty Simpson holding the second-shortest odds to win the Heisman (+320) entering Week 8.
Spread
Additionally, the Volunteers' defense has disappeared over the last month or so, falling all the way down to 114th in expected points added per play allowed (0.08) and 110th in success rate allowed (43.6%). Things aren't going to get any easier for Tennessee in a hostile environment against an Alabama squad that is a perfect 3-0 against the spread at Bryant-Denny Stadium this season.
Just last week, the Volunteers escaped with a three-point victory at home against a 2-3 Arkansas Razorbacks program that has already fired their head coach. On top of that, the Crimson Tide have the second-best turnover margin per game (+1.7) while the Volunteers are 110th in penalties per game (7.6) -- two things that could be a major factor in Saturday's pivotal SEC clash.
Ty Simpson Over 2.5 Passing Touchdowns (-106)
Given the efficiency that Ty Simpson has displayed since a shaky season opener, the Crimson Tide have fully leaned into their passing attack being their best means of moving the ball on offense. Along with Simpson ranking fourth in total passing expected points added (41.8) this season, Alabama is 44th in passing percentage (51.6%), and I expect them to air it out often against a vulnerable Tennessee secondary.
Ty Simpson (BAMA) - Passing TDs
Despite the Vols boasting a fierce pass rush, the Volunteers are 98th in expected points added per drop back allowed (0.12) and 87th in passing success rate allowed (43.5%). Starting running back Jam Miller is also questionable for the Crimson Tide due to being in the concussion protocol, which could also lead to more opportunities for Simpson and the passing game.
Across his first six starts this season, Simpson has tossed multiple touchdowns in all six, and he's tallied three-plus passing touchdowns in three of those outings.
With Alabama looking to make a statement at home against a rival, there's no reason for them to take their foot off the gas through the air in this matchup.
DeSean Bishop Anytime Touchdown (+120)
Although I have Alabama winning by a decent margin and Simpson having no issues adding to his touchdown total, Tennessee is still likely going to find the end zone at least once.
Taking that into account, the Volunteers' best chance of making this a game is via their rushing attack, which makes DeSean Bishop my favorite touchdown pick in Tennessee's offense.
While the Volunteers deploy a few running backs in their backfield, Bishop has been the most productive, averaging the most yards per attempt (7.6), yards after contact per attempt (4.73), and rushing touchdowns (5), per PFF. The Crimson Tide's defense has been susceptible against the run, so I expect Bishop to be busy on Saturday.
Ahead of this contest, Alabama is 74th in expected points added per rushing attempt allowed (-0.01) and 114th in yards per rushing attempt allowed (5.45). Even if Tennessee finds themselves playing from behind, they could have a handful of opportunities in the red zone, and all but one of Bishop's touchdowns this season has been within 17 yards of the goal line.
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The above author is a FanDuel employee and is not eligible to compete in public daily fantasy contests or place sports betting wagers on FanDuel. The advice provided by the author does not necessarily represent the views of FanDuel. Taking the author's advice will not guarantee a successful outcome. You should use your own judgment when participating in daily fantasy contests or placing sports wagers.