Tennessee vs. Georgia Betting: Nation’s top two to tussle for SEC East supremacy in Athens

The first weekend of a huge month of college football will be headlined by a #1 vs. #2 showdown on Saturday afternoon. In Athens, Georgia, #1 Georgia will face off with #2 Tennessee with a lot at stake in the SEC and nationally.

After following their thrilling triumph over Alabama by destroying UT-Martin and Kentucky, the Volunteers moved into a tie for 2nd with Ohio State in the latest AP poll.

Georgia, meanwhile, overcame three turnovers to put away Florida 42-20 in Jacksonville, preserving their place atop the major polls for another week.

As a result, we have our first non-conference championship or BCS/CFP #1 vs. #2 college football matchup since #1 LSU beat #2 Alabama 9-6 in overtime in 2011.

It remains to be seen where these two teams will reside in the initial College Football Playoff rankings, which will be revealed on Tuesday night. But either way, the team that comes out on top in Athens is likely to be #1 in next week’s reveal and have an inside track to a likely CFP spot no matter the outcome of next month’s SEC Championship Game in Atlanta.

Tennessee Volunteers vs. Georgia Bulldogs Matchup Information and Betting Odds

Matchup Information

• Matchup: Tennessee Volunteers (8-0, 4-0 SEC, #2 AP Poll/#3 Coaches Poll) vs. #1 Georgia Bulldogs (8-0, 5-0 SEC)
• Venue & Location: Sanford Stadium (Athens, Georgia)
• Date: Saturday, October 31, 2022
• Game Time: 3:30 p.m. Eastern Time
• How to Watch Tennessee vs. Georgia: CBS

Tennessee vs. Georgia Odds

Game odds are via BetOnline as of Monday, October 31 at 2:50 p.m. Eastern.

Spread

• Tennessee +8.5 (-105)
• Georgia -8.5 (-115)

Over/Under

• Over 65.5 (-110)
• Under 65.5 (-110)

Moneyline

• Tennessee +260
• Georgia -330

We’ll have our prediction and betting picks for this matchup a bit later in the week.

SEC, National Championship Aspirations at Stake in Athens

The loser of Saturday’s showdown won’t be out of the national championship hunt, with weeks of twists and turns still ahead that could catapult teams into or out of playoff positions.

But the winner will be in the driver’s seat in the SEC East and earning a spot in the SEC Championship Game as an undefeated team means being in a favorable position for a CFP spot even if you lose.

Last year, Georgia lost to Alabama in the SEC title game but still landed in the CFP and went on to win the national title in a rematch with the Tide.

Georgia has road games against Mississippi State and Kentucky remaining, and while the Bulldogs and Wildcats, both of whom have been ranked in the top 20 this year, aren’t to be dismissed, those are games that Georgia should win.

Tennessee, meanwhile, finishes up with Missouri at home and South Carolina and Vanderbilt on the road, so they would also be in a great position to go to Atlanta 12-0 if they win Athens.

Here’s how the latest SEC and national championship odds shape up at BetOnline, ahead of this week’s pivotal Tennessee vs. Georgia and Alabama vs. LSU matchups:

Odds to Win the SEC Football Title

• Georgia +100
• Alabama +150
• Tennessee +500
• LSU +3000
• Ole Miss +5000

Odds to Win the College Football National Championship

• Georgia +190
• Ohio State +200
• Alabama +300
• Tennessee +1200
• Clemson +1600
• Michigan +1600
• Oregon +4000
• USC +6000
• North Carolina +8000
• TCU +8000
• Ole Miss +10000

Saturday’s game could also be key in deciding who wins this year’s Heisman Trophy.

Tennessee QB Hendon Hooker is now the favorite, coming in at +100 at BetOnline, with Ohio State QB C.J. Stroud at +200. The top two contenders are followed by Michigan RB Blake Corum (+1400), USC QB Caleb Williams (also +1400), Oregon QB Bo Nix and North Carolina QB Drake Maye (both +2000), and TCU QB Max Duggan (+3000).