The Virginia Cavaliers finished last season with a record of 3-7 with their season cut short following the tragic deaths of Lavell Davis Jr., Devin Chandler, and D’Sean Peary who were killed, and Mike Hollins was injured in a school shooting by a former teammate. The Cavaliers finished with a losing record for the first time since the 2016 college football season. 

This season, the Cavaliers enter the season with an over/under win total of 3.5 wins which is one of the lowest win totals in college football and means Virginia is projected to finish with a losing record for the 2^nd season in a row, something that has no happened since the 2015-2016 college football seasons and are projected to be the worst team in the ACC this season.

The Tennessee Volunteers finished last season with a record of 11-2 which is the most wins the Volunteers have had since the 2001 college football season and finished with a record of 6-2 in the SEC which led to a 2^nd place finish in the SEC East and an appearance in the Orange Bowl against the Clemson Tigers which resulted in a 31-14 win. Hendon Hooker looked like the favorite to win the Heisman, however, he was injured against South Carolina, Joe Milton got the start in the bowl game against Clemson and showed promise in the game completing 19 of 28 attempts for 251 yards and three touchdowns. 

This year, the Volunteers enter the season with an over/under win total of 9 wins which means Tennessee is projected to become bowl-eligible for the 3^rd consecutive year under Josh Heupel. Based on Vegas odds, Tennessee is projected to be the 5^th best team in the SEC behind the Georgia Bulldogs, Alabama Crimson Tide, LSU Tigers, and Texas A&M Aggies and have the 15^th-best odds to win the National Championship as the Volunteers are +2000 to accomplish that feat.

BookMaker has the Tennessee Volunteers listed as 27.5-point favorites against the Virginia Cavaliers in week 1 of the college football season on Saturday afternoon. This will be the first time in the history of these programs that they will play each other in college football. Virginia finished last season with a record of 4-6 ATS overall and 4-3 ATS as an underdog while Tennessee finished 10-3 ATS overall and 8-2 ATS as a favorite.

Tennessee is projected to be the 2^nd best team in the East division of the SEC and have the 15^th-best odds to win a National Championship while the Virginia Cavaliers have an over/under win total of 3.5 wins. Josh Heupel has returned Tennessee to the heights that have not reached since the days of Phillip Fulmer after getting 11 wins last season which was the most wins the Volunteers have had since the 2001 college football season. 

I look for Tennessee under their new quarterback, Joe Milton, to have another good season this year and for them to win in a blowout in week 1 of the college football season against the Virginia Cavaliers which is why I am buying the .5 point and taking the Tennessee Volunteers -27 on BookMaker for this matchup on Saturday afternoon.