hendon-hooker-getty-images-tennessee.jpg
Getty Images

The No. 17 Pittsburgh Panthers and No. 24 Tennessee Volunteers get together for a highly-anticipated non-conference tilt on Saturday. Tennessee aims for revenge after a 41-34 loss to Pittsburgh in Knoxville last season, and the Volunteers are 0-3 all-time against the Panthers. Both teams are 1-0 to begin the 2022 season, with Pittsburgh defeating West Virginia and Tennessee toppling Ball State a week ago.

Caesars Sportsbook lists the Volunteers as 6-point road favorites at Acrisure Stadium in Pittsburgh for this 3:30 p.m. ET kickoff. The total number of points Vegas thinks will be scored, or the over/under, is 62.5 in the latest Tennessee vs. Pittsburgh odds, down 2.5 points from the opening line. Before making any Pittsburgh vs. Tennessee picks, you need to see the college football predictions and betting advice from SportsLine's advanced computer simulation model.

The SportsLine Projection Model simulates every FBS college football game 10,000 times. Over the past six-plus years, the proprietary computer model has generated a stunning profit of almost $3,500 for $100 players on its top-rated college football picks against the spread. It enters Week 2 of the 2022 college football season on a 48-37 run on all top-rated college football spread and money-line picks that dates back to 2021. Anyone who has followed it has seen huge returns.

Now, the model has set its sights on Tennessee vs. Pitt and just locked in its picks and CFB predictions. You can head to SportsLine now to see the model's picks. Now, here are several college football odds and betting lines for Pitt vs. Tennessee:

  • Tennessee vs. Pittsburgh spread: Tennessee -6 
  • Tennessee vs. Pittsburgh over/under: 62.5 points 
  • Tennessee vs. Pittsburgh money line: Tennessee -220, Pittsburgh +180
  • TENN: The Volunteers are aiming for their first all-time win over Pittsburgh 
  • PITT: The Panthers are coming off their first 11-win season since 1981 
  • Tennessee vs. Pittsburgh picks: See picks here.

Why Tennessee can cover

Tennessee's defense is considered a work in progress, but there were signs of life in the season opener against Ball State. The Volunteers allowed only 10 points in that matchup, and Tennessee's rushing defense allowed only 74 yards on the ground. That carries over from giving up only 3.8 yards per carry in 2021, and Tennessee can also rely on a highly prolific offense. Led by veteran quarterback Hendon Hooker, Tennessee produced 569 yards and 59 points in the season opener, and the Volunteers are on a four-game streak in scoring at least 45 points. 

Tennessee was a top-10 team in FBS in scoring offense last season, averaging 39.3 points per game, and Hooker boasted the nation's best touchdown-to-interception ratio at 31-to-3. Hooker is also a threat on the ground, racking up more than 1,600 career rushing yards, including 616 yards and five touchdowns last season, and wide receiver Cedric Tillman returns after finishing in the top five of the SEC in receiving yards and touchdown catches in 2021. Tillman led the team with six catches in the opener, and he enters on a streak of nine consecutive games with at least five receptions.

Why Pittsburgh can cover

Pittsburgh is enjoying a program renaissance after an 11-3 performance last season in the seventh campaign under head coach Pat Narduzzi. That was punctuated by a 24-point win over Wake Forest to win the ACC title, and the 11-win mark was Pittsburgh's best since 1981. Pittsburgh was also excellent against the spread, posting a 10-4 record, and the Panthers project to be quite effective on the offensive side of the ball. 

Transfer quarterback Kedon Slovis arrives from USC, where he threw for more than 7,500 yards and 58 touchdown passes across three seasons. Slovis accumulated 308 passing yards on 12.8 yards per attempt in the season opener last week, and it was his 12th career game with at least 300 passing yards. Slovis is joined by another high-impact transfer, wide receiver Konata Mumpfield, who previously starred at Akron. Mumpfield led Pittsburgh with five catches in the opener, contributing 71 yards, and that comes on the heels of a 2021 season in which he produced 63 receptions for 751 yards and eight touchdowns. Tennessee posted the fourth-worst mark in the SEC in total defense in 2021, including the conference's second-worst mark in passing yards allowed.

How to make Tennessee vs. Pittsburgh picks

SportsLine's model is leaning Over on the total, projecting the teams to combine for 63 points. The model also says one side of the spread hits more than 50% of the time. You can only see the model's Pitt vs. Tennessee pick at SportsLine.

So who wins Tennessee vs. Pittsburgh? And which side of the spread hits more than 50% of the time? Visit SportsLine now to see which side of the Tennessee vs. Pittsburgh spread you need to jump on Saturday, all from the model that has crushed its college football picks, and find out.