College Football Odds: SEC Week 10 picks against the spread
Oct 31, 2015; Lexington, KY, USA; Tennessee Volunteers running back Jalen Hurd (1) runs for a touchdown against the Kentucky Wildcats at Commonwealth Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Bryan Lynn-USA TODAY Sports
- Date: Saturday November 7, 2015
- Time: 4PM Eastern
- Location: Knoxville, TN
- TV Channel: SEC Network
- Spread: Tennessee -17
- Over/Under Total: 56.5
With a dominant 52-21 victory over Kentucky on the road last week, the Tennessee Vols appear primed and ready to sweep the final five games of the regular season. Next up is a South Carolina squad that played tough in a 35-28 loss to Texas A&M Saturday, but appears destined to lose its last three games against FBS opponents and record a losing season for the first time in more than a decade.
Tennessee has a big edge in this matchup because the Vols can run the football effectively (214.1 rushing yards per game this season, which is second best in the SEC and No. 21 in the nation), and the Gamecocks can’t stop the run (215.2 rushing yards allowed per game, which is the worst in the SEC).
Expect running backs Jalen Hurd (725 rushing yards, 9 TD) and Alvin Kamara (346 rushing yards, 3 TD) to have big games on the ground, and for quarterback Joshua Dobbs (1,505 passing yards, 11 TD, 3 INT, 438 rushing yards, 7 TD) to continue his dual threat mastery.
South Carolina probably won’t be able to stop the Vols, but the Gamecocks showed a great deal of improvement offensively last week by gaining 445 yards of total offense against the Aggies.
Whether Tennessee covers, however, depends on how well the Vols contain running back Brandon Wilds, who ran for 128 yards and two touchdowns last week, and receiver Pharoh Cooper, who was limited to 22 receiving yards on four catches against A&M, but has caught 44 passes for 609 yards and four TDs this season.
The Vols have looked good on defense over the last two weeks in a 19-14 loss to Alabama and a 349-yard performance against Kentucky, so South Carolina is likely to have trouble scoring enough to keep this one close. Take Tennessee to cover.
Next: Auburn at Texas A&M