Virginia Tech vs Tennessee Week 2 Betting Lines & Expert Pick

Posted by Jordan Walterss on Thursday,September 8, 2016 9:27, EDT in

Saturday’s game between Virginia Tech and Tennessee might not be the best matchup of Week 2, but it’s the most nteresting in one aspect: where it’s being played. That would be Bristol Motor Speedway and a college football record attendance of perhaps 160,000 will be on hand for the game. The 1/2-mile concrete oval hosts two major NASCAR weekends per year. The Vols are solid favorites in college football odds.

Take a Closer Look at the Virginia Tech vs Tennessee Week 2 Betting Lines, Expert Pick & TV Info

When: Saturday, Sept. 10, 8 PM ET
Where: Bristol Motor Speedway
TV: ABC
Stream: WatchESPN
Radio: Virginia Tech / Tennessee
Opening NCAAF Lines: Vols -11.5 (54.5)

Why Bet on Virginia Tech?

A Tennessee-Virginia Tech matchup at Bristol had been discussed for about 20 years and finally was announced in 2013. The current NCAA single-game record attendance is 115,109 at Michigan Stadium when the Wolverines beat Notre Dame in 2013.

The Hokies won the Virginia Tech head coaching debut of Justin Fuente, 36-13 over Liberty. Quarterback Jerod Evans threw for 221 yards and four touchdowns in handing Fuente his first victory. Fuente, who spent the previous four seasons at Memphis, took over in January for Frank Beamer, who retired after 29 years as Virginia Tech’s head coach. Fuente became the first Tech coach to win his debut since Jerry Claiborne opened his tenure with a victory over William & Mary in 1961.

Evans, a junior-college transfer from Texas who enrolled this past January, completed 20 of 32 passes. The Hokies trailed 13-10 in the second quarter before Evans threw touchdown passes to Isaiah Ford andBucky Hodges on the Hokies’ last two possessions of the first half to give the Hokies the lead for good. Ford caught 11 passes for 117 yards and Hodges caught two touchdown passes. Ford’s 117 yards receiving marked the fourth straight game in which he has recorded more than 100 yards receiving – a school record.

Tech Improved to 38-3 when a Bud Foster defense has forced three or more interceptions. The Hokies have now scored in 270 straight games, the sixth-longest active streak among FBS schools.

Dating back to 2005, the Hokies are 24-1 in non-conference games when scoring 30+ points. That lone loss was a 33-30 setback vs. No. 3 Boise State at FedEx Field (9/6/10). VT is 18-3 dating back to 1996 vs. ranked foes when forcing two or more INTs, including a streak of nine straight wins.

Why Bet on Tennessee?

The Vols dropped from No. 9 in the polls in escaping Appalachian State 20-13 in OT in Week 1. Jalen Hurd recovered quarterback Joshua Dobbs’ overtime fumble in the end zone and UT won after overcoming a 10-point halftime deficit. Micah Abernathy ended the game by breaking up a pass into the end zone on fourth-and- 5 from the 20. Hurd has now rushed past the century mark in each of his last four games after posting 110 rushing yards against Appalachian State.

Tennessee entered the season with its highest ranking since 2006 after winning its final six games last year but played nothing like it. The Volunteers committed two turnovers and lost linebacker Jalen Reeves-Maybin to a targeting penalty in the first half as Appalachian State built a 13-3 lead.

Appalachian State’s undersized but aggressive defensive linemen consistently penetrated Tennessee’s mostly seasoned offensive front. Tennessee generated only 127 rush yards on 43 attempts. If Dobbs wasn’t so elusive, the Mountaineers would have finished with more than just two sacks.

Tennessee’s overtime victory marked UT’s 12th overtime win in school history — the most among FBS programs since the overtime rule was implemented during the 1995-96 bowl season. The win snapped a three-game losing streak in overtime games. The Vols are 12-6 in overtime games and their 18 overtime appearances are also the most in FBS history.

The Vols are on a seven-game winning streak, which is their longest since winning seven-straight in 2001. Tennessee is 5-3 all-time against Virginia Tech. The teams last played on Dec. 31, 2009, in the Chick-fil- A Bowl with the Hokies taking a 37-14 win. In its program history, UT is 38-16 (.704) in neutral site games played in Tennessee.

My Free Pick

Volunteers are 4-0 ATS in their last 4 neutral site games.
Volunteers are 7-3 ATS in their last 10 games following a ATS loss.
Hokies are 2-6- 1 ATS in their last 9 neutral site games.
Hokies are 1-4 ATS in their last 5 vs. SEC.

Take Tennessee in NCAA betting and go over the total.