The Tennessee Volunteers will host MAC squad Kent State on Saturday Night. The Vols roll into this one after a 51-10 blowout over 24 ranked NC State. The Golden Flash are looking to get anything going after a 23-17 loss to St. Francis PA. Can the Volunteers cover the massive 49 point spread at home? Let’s see how this Tennessee vs. Kent State matchup might play out.
Game Matchup & Betting Odds
Kent State Golden Flash (+49) at Tennessee Volunteers (-49); o/u 62.5
7:45 p.m ET, Saturday, September 14, 2024
Neyland Stadium, Knoxville, TN
TV: SECN
Public Betting: Public Bettors Backing Vols
As of this writing, our CFB Public Betting page shows that 64% of bets are on Tennessee. That said, this page is updated frequently so make sure that you click on the link provided so that you’re getting the most updated information.
Tennessee Volunteers
Tennessee is clicking on all cylinders early on in this 2024 season. They opened up with a 69-3 win over Chattanooga and followed it up with a 51-10 victory over NC State. Freshman quarterback Nico Iamaleava has been an absolute stud, throwing for 525 yards and 5 touchdowns in one and a half games. He also added 65 yards and a touchdown on the ground against NC State. Dylan Sampson has rushed for over 100 yards in each of the first 2 games as well. The Vols defense held NC State quarterback Grayson McCall to just 104 passing yards and one interception. NC State also managed just 39 yards on the ground. Tennessee had 13 tackles for loss and 3 sacks.
Kent State Golden Flash
It’s going to get worse before it gets better for the Golden Flash. After opening the season with a 55-24 loss to Pittsburgh, Kent State suffered a 23-17 home loss to FCS school St. Francis PA. In that matchup Devin Kargman threw for 193 yards and one touchdown while also adding an interception. They rushed for just 78 yards. On the defensive side, they allowed St. Francis to throw for 195 yards on 11 completions, and rush for a combined 207 yards.
Tennessee vs. Kent State Betting Trends
Kent State is 1-10 ATS in their last 11 games
The OVER is 5-1 in Kent State’s last 6 away games
Tennessee is 6-2 ATS in their last 8 home games
The OVER is 8-5 in Tennessee’s last 13 games
Tennessee vs. Kent State Prediction
Take Tennessee to cover the 49 point spread. Yes this is an insanely large amount of points, but Kent State is at an all time low right now. Tennessee is flying high after blowing out a ranked opponent by 41. I think this matchup will look very similar to the Vols 69-3 win over Chattanooga. This one will most likely come down to how the backups play. Against Chattanooga, Nico Iamaleava didn’t play after the first half as they were already up 45-0. Gaston Moore and Jake Merklinger came in relief and were able to lead Tennessee to a 24-3 second half. The run game totaled over 304 yards in that matchup. Tennessee plays Oklahoma next so I would definitely imagine the backups will be coming in sooner than later. I think they’ll be able to move the ball and put some more scoring drives together to cover the spread.
Tennessee vs. Kent State Prediction: Tennessee -49