Opening Line: Tennessee is a massive favorite over Missouri

Tennessee suffered their first loss of the season on Saturday against Georgia, but the season is still very much alive. The Volunteers got exactly what they needed during the nightcap, with Alabama and Clemson both losing.

Now, everything is on the line in the final three weeks of the season. Tennessee can’t afford any slip ups, and frankly they need to be impressive and convincing down the stretch. We know the ‘eye test’ means something, so leaving no doubt against Missouri, South Carolina and Vanderbilt is a must.

The oddsmakers believe Tennessee will bounce back in a pretty big way. Tennessee opens against Missouri at -21, per DraftKings Sportsbook. That’s a pretty big number, considering the strides Missouri has made over the last few weeks.

Eli Drinkwitz and the Tigers may be 4-5 overall, but they took both Georgia and Florida to the wire, beat South Carolina and nearly took down Kentucky last weekend. They’ll now enter Neyland Stadium, which has been a complete buzzsaw for opponents in 2022.

For the first time all season, Josh Heupel’s offense really struggled last Saturday. Georgia’s loaded defense shut down Hendon Hooker and company, and the Volunteers will face another stingy group on Saturday. Missouri ranks 13th in total defense so far this season, bouncing back in a big way from last season’s disastrous group. You may remember Tennessee running wild on the Tigers in 2021, but they may have a tougher task ahead this time around.

Kickoff is set for noon ET on CBS on Saturday.

Odds/lines subject to change. T&Cs apply. See DraftKings.com/sportsbook for details.