Both the Tennessee Volunteers and the Illinois Fighting Illini have had good seasons this year, but not good enough to make it to the CFP, so they will face off at the Music City Bowl on Tuesday, Dec. 30. It will be held at the Nissan Stadium in Music City, Memphis, Tennessee, which means that the Vols will be getting some home field advantage against Illinois.
This is the third time that Tennessee will play in the Music City Bowl, and even though they have a home advantage, their record reads 1-2. On the other hand, the Fighting Illini are coming in with more momentum, as they won their last game against Northwestern, while the Vols lost their last game against Vanderbilt.
Music City Bowl Key Matchups
QB: Luke Altmyer vs. Joey Aguilar
After their quarterback debacle ahead of the season, Tennessee was reeling, but transferee Joey Aguilar quickly proved that he was a good choice for QB1. He led one of the best offenses in the country, though he was held back by the team’s poor defense. As for Illinois, Luke Altmyer will be playing his last game in college, and he will be eager to prove himself. Against that lackluster Tennessee defense, he may just explode.
Vols Defense vs. Illini Defense
Illinois’ defense is only marginally better, while Tennessee’s has been unreliable, with the school firing DC Tim Banks after all the team’s defensive struggles. With that, it should be interesting to see how the mediocre defense of Illinois would fare against the lackluster defense of Tennessee. Tennessee does have a better offensive game, so Illinois’ defense better step up.
Music City Bowl Odds
Tennessee is actually considered the favorite, but not by a lot. The Vols are -3 favorites in the spread with an over/under of -110 for a total of 61.5. The moneyline for Illinois is +140, while Tennessee has -160.
Music City Bowl Prediction
With Tennessee being the betting favorite, as well as having the home advantage in Memphis, this one should go to the Vols, especially with how good their offense is. However, the odds are not that big, so expect this one to be a close fight.
Related:
Bryce Underwood Transfer Portal Update: Top 3 Destinations for Michigan’s Five-Star Freshman
College Sports Network has you covered with the latest news, analysis, insights, and trending stories in college football, men’s college basketball, women’s college basketball, and college baseball!
