The 2024 college football season is upon us as No. 15 Tennessee opens up Saturday against in-state FCS power Chattanooga at Neyland Stadium.
Kickoff is scheduled for 12:45 p.m. ET on SEC Network.
Following is a quick overview of Saturday’s game and a look at the accompanying odds from the leading online sportsbooks, which currently are offering up to a combined $4,450 in new customer welcome bonuses (see summary below).
Tennessee vs. Chattanooga odds: Nico Iamaleava takes reins for Vols
Quarterbacks Joe Milton and Hendon Hooker have capably captained the Tennessee offense the last three seasons.
But redshirt-freshman Nico Iamaleava now takes the controls as one of the most hyped Vols QBs in years.
A 2023 five-star recruit from Long Beach, Calif., Iamaleava whetted Rocky Top appetites by accounting for four touchdowns and no turnovers in his first career start: A 35-0 Citrus Bowl rout of Iowa on New Year’s Day. That earned Iamaleava game MVP honors and amped expectations for his first season as a starter.
The 6-foot-6, 215-pound QB has a talented group of receivers to target, led by 2023 team leader Squirrel White, and a trio of returning starting offensive linemen.
Junior defensive end James Pearce, an SEC Defensive Player of the Year candidate projected by many to be a top-five NFL Draft pick, anchors a formidable front seven.
But a revamped secondary is among the most glaring question marks for fourth-year coach Josh Heupel’s team after allowing a 65.2 completion percentage and an average of 221.5 passing yards per game last season.
Tennessee vs. Chattanooga odds: Mocs ranked 8th in FCS
Chattanooga brings its own impressive credentials into Saturday’s contest.
The Mocs, led by sixth-year coach Rusty Wright, are picked to win the rugged Southern Conference after an 8-5, FCS second-round playoff finish of a season ago.
They enter 2024 ranked eighth in the preseason FCS coaches poll.
Senior QB Chase Artopoeus returns for his second season as a starter and has a strong receiving corps to throw to, providing an immediate test for the UT secondary.
Tennessee vs. Chattanooga odds: Vols are heavy favorites Saturday
The Volunteers have beaten Chattanooga in each of their last 10 meetings and own a dominant 40-2-2 advantage in the all-time series.
They’ve met only twice, though, in the last 54 seasons, with Tennessee posting 45-0 and 45-10 home routs in 2019 and 2014, respectively.
As for Saturday’s game, UT entered the week as a 38.5-point favorite (-100000 moneyline) with the Mocs catching +8000 moneyline odds as the decided underdog at FanDuel Sportsbook.
The game total, meanwhile, was hovering around 56.5 points as of Monday night, with DraftKings Sportsbook being the highest at an even 57 points.
To cover the large number, Tennessee will have to guard against sneaking too many peeks at its Sept. 7 top-25 matchup against N.C. State in Charlotte.
Since Heupel took over in 2021, Tennessee owns an overall record of 27-12, going 22-17 against the spread in those 39 games, including 12-5 as a home favorite.
The Vols also are 23-15-1 to the over during that three-season span.
