Tennessee Volunteers vs. Alabama Crimson Tide Betting Odds, Football Pick

Alabama owns the recent rivalry with Tennessee with eight wins in a row, and it's 7-2 against the spread over the last nine. The Volunteers shoot to put a halt to that streak when they take on the Tide on Saturday afternoon in Tuscaloosa.

Point spread: The Crimson Tide opened as 14.5-point favorites, according to sportsbooks monitored by Odds Shark (line updates and matchup report).

College football pick, via Odds Shark computer: 41.4-21.5 Crimson Tide

Why the Tennessee Volunteers can cover the spread

The Vols bounced back from two tough losses to claim a close victory of their own two weeks ago, beating Georgia 38-31. Tennessee then had last week off.

The Volunteers trailed the Bulldogs 24-3 in the second quarter after allowing two defensive/special teams touchdowns but battled back, taking a lead on quarterback Joshua Dobbs' fifth touchdown of the day with five minutes to go and then hanging on from there. On the day, Tennessee outgained and outrushed Georgia and held the ball for over 34 minutes, all in winning straight up as a three-point home dog.

Just before that, the Vols gave up a two-score lead and lost to Arkansas 24-20, and they gave up a two-score lead and lost to Florida 28-27 prior to that. Earlier this season, they gave up a three-score lead and lost to Oklahoma in overtime 31-24. So Tennessee, while it has lost some close games, is proving that it can, once again, play with some of college football's big boys.

Why the Alabama Crimson Tide can cover the spread

Alabama won its fourth game in a row last week, beating Texas A&M in College Station 41-23, covering as a five-point road favorite. The Tide ran the ball down the Aggies' throats for 258 yards (236 by running back Derrick Henry), held the ball for over 36 minutes and scored three touchdowns on interception returns.

Just before that, Alabama used a 24-0 run to beat Arkansas 27-14, and it snuffed Georgia 38-10 prior to that. Even in the game it lost, it outgained and outrushed Ole Miss. At 3-1 in SEC play, the Tide might just be getting warmed up.

Smart pick

Alabama, recovered from that loss to the Rebels, now rolls toward its showdown at home with LSU November 7. But the home team might be favored by a bit too much for this contest. An upset is probably too much to ask, but with a little magic from Dobbs and a few stops on defense, Tennessee can keep this one close too.

Betting trends

• Alabama is 8-0 SU in its last eight games against Tennessee.
• Alabama is 14-5 ATS in its last 19 games in October.
• Tennessee is 0-11 in its last 11 games on the road in October.

All point spread and lines data courtesy of Odds Shark. All quotes gathered firsthand unless otherwise noted. Check out Twitter for injury and line-movement updates and get the free odds tracker app.