Tennessee and Missouri will kick things off Saturday afternoon in Knoxville, Tennessee, in a game that's incredibly important to both SEC East teams despite neither being in contention for the division or conference title. The Volunteers have won two straight, just knocked off Kentucky last week and need one win over the last two games to earn bowl eligibility.

The Tigers, meanwhile, have already reached that mark thanks to their sixth win of the season last week against Vanderbilt, but would love to move up the SEC pecking order. Plus, quarterback Drew Lock is still looking to build his NFL resume, and Tennessee could be a great opponent against whom to do that.

Let's preview Saturday's showdown and make a pick for the SEC on CBS Game of the Week.

Viewing information

Date: Saturday, Nov. 17 | Time: 3:30 p.m. ET
Location: Neyland Stadium -- Knoxville, Tennessee
TV: CBS | Live stream: CBSSports.com, CBS Sports App, fuboTV (Try for free)

Storylines

Missouri: The Tigers roared back against Vandy last week thanks to a bruising rushing attack that included 122 yards from Damarea Crockett and 92 from Larry Roundtree. Drew Lock has been the star of the show for Barry Odom's Tigers, but he hasn't exactly been tearing it up despite leading his team to back-to-back wins. The absence of tight end Albert Okwuegbunam probably plays into that a little bit, and the star sophomore will be out of the lineup again this week. The run defense has been stellar this year giving up just 3.92 yards per carry, but got torched by Vandy to the tune of 7.45 yards per carry. Is that the exception or the start of a trend? We'll find out Saturday afternoon.

Tennessee: Running backs Tim Jordan and Ty Chandler went old-school last week with 63 and 89 running yards, respectively, in the 24-7 win over Kentucky. While that doesn't exactly jump off the stat sheet, doing that against Kentucky's defense is a big positive for a team that has struggled to consistently set the tone on the ground. The defense has been solid lately, giving up just 3.75 yards per play in November against Charlotte and Kentucky. Is that a product of weak offensive competition, or a sign that it's taking on the mindset of first year coach Jeremy Pruitt?

Game prediction, picks

Tennessee being nearly a touchdown underdog at home seems crazy, because if nothing else, the Vols have been a tough out over the last two months (save for the Alabama game). They won't just be a tough out Saturday afternoon, they'll be an outright winner. Quarterback Jarrett Guarantano has only tossed two interceptions all year -- and they both came on Sept. 22 against Florida. He's been getting hot lately with five touchdowns over the last three games, and will exploit the SEC's second-worst pass defense. Pick: Tennessee (+6)

So which teams should you back in Week 12 of the college football season? And what playoff contender will get its title hopes crushed? Visit SportsLine now to see the projected score for every single FBS matchup, all from the model that has returned over $4,000 in profit to $100 bettors over the last three seasons.