Tennessee Volunteers Preview | Expert Predictions & Best Bets for 2024
Zack Cook
Host · Writer
Tennessee Volunteers Preview, Predictions & Season Win Total Pick
The Tennessee Volunteers hope to get another bump from head coach Josh Heupel in Year 4 of his tenure. Although they haven’t been close to making noise in the College Football Playoff, the Volunteers have now finished inside the top 20 in back-to-back seasons in the AP poll, which highlights that this program is on track and headed in the right direction. Can they sneak into the CFB Playoff in 2024?
Tennessee Volunteers Preview
2023 Record: 9-4 (4-4); SEC Finish: 3rd SEC East
AP Poll: No. 15 | Coaches Poll: N0. 15 | PFF: No. 16
Head Coach: Josh Heupel 27-12 (14-10) | Fourth Season | Overall: 55-20
Defensive Coordinator: Tim Banks | Offensive Coordinator: Joey Halzle
Tennessee Volunteers Futures Odds (FanDuel)
National Championship Odds: +3500 | CFB Playoff Odds: +195
SEC Championship Odds: +1600
Regular Season Wins: OVER 8.5 -172 | UNDER 8.5 +140
Tennessee Preview: Why You Should Be Bullish
It’s impossible not to be excited about the upside of quarterback Nico Iamaleava. That was already on full display in the Citrus Bowl against Iowa last season, demonstrating what he’s capable of in this type of high-octane offense. Iamaleava was a heavily recruited top 3 recruit in his class, which makes it understandable why many are excited about what the Volunteers can accomplish this year. With plenty of weapons at his disposal, Iamaleava is a great reason to be bullish on this SEC East program.
Tennessee Preview: Why You Should Be Bearish
It’s no secret that James Pearce Jr. will be heavily involved on defense in 2024. The projected top 5 pick in the 2025 NFL Draft is already elite, but are there enough pieces behind him that can contribute? That’s a big reason many aren’t as high on this version of the Vols. The Volunteers don’t bring a lot of experience to the table on defense, especially in their secondary, which will leave them susceptible to the high-powered offenses that the SEC continues to offer.
Tennessee Volunteers Breakout Player: QB Nico Iamaleava
We’re already very high on Iamaleava as a quarterback. If the Volunteers want to challenge the top teams in the SEC, they’ll need their youthful signal-caller to have a dominant first-year as their starter. Iamaleava has the arm strength and rushing upside to be a real difference-maker. Right now, we’ve seen splashes of the potential. If the Volunteers want to be serious players, they’ll need Iamaleava to fully break out in 2024, and we’re extremely bullish on that transpiring.
Tennessee X-Factor: EDGE James Pearce Jr.
We mentioned the pedigree and expectations surrounding James Pearce Jr. in 2024. This player’s ceiling is monstrous, and in order for the Volunteers to find success, he’ll need to play up to those lofty expectations. It’s hard to put the defensive unit’s expectations all on one man’s rather broad shoulders, but if Pearce Jr. doesn’t perform or gets injured, it could be a long year on that side of the football for Tennessee.
Tennessee Volunteers Schedule Analysis
There are some early-season matchups that should give the Volunteers some real tests. On Sept.7, Tennessee will visit No.24 NC State. Two weeks later, they’ll be on the road against No.16 Oklahoma. Compared to some of their conference counterparts, the schedule for the Volunteers is really not all that daunting, minus a few outliers. Those outliers include hosting No.5 Alabama on October 19 and a date in Athens against the No.1 ranked Georgia Bulldogs on Nov.16.
Tennessee Prediction: OVER/UNDER 8.5 Wins
There are eight matchups on the Volunteers 2024 schedule where they should be listed as moderate to large favorites. The Volunteers win total is set at 8.5, and you can already begin to understand why you have to lay so much juice on the over here. Even if the Volunteers slip up along the way in one of those eight contests, it’s still a possibility they end up clearing the number. There’s too much talent on offense for Tennessee not to realize its expectations in 2024.
Tennessee Volunteers Preseason Pick
OVER 8.5 (-172) (FanDuel Sportsbook)
Tennessee Volunteers Best Bets
We have to offer you more than just the preseason pick here because of the amount of juice you’re laying. With explosive ability to show out in 2024, there’s value in looking at Nico Iamaleava to win the Heisman Trophy at +1400.
SEC Previews: Arkansas | Auburn | Florida |Kentucky | LSU | Mississippi State | Missouri | Oklahoma| South Carolina | Texas A&M | Vanderbilt
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