The Tennessee Volunteers take on the Georgia Tech Yellow Jackets in Atlanta, GA. Kickoff is set for 7 p.m. ET on ESPN.
Tennessee is favored by -12.5 points on the spread with a moneyline of -530. The total is set at 55.5 points.
Here’s my Tennessee vs. Georgia Tech prediction and college football pick for Saturday, September 12, 2026.
Tennessee vs Georgia Tech Prediction
- Tennessee vs. Georgia Tech Picks: Tennessee -12.5 | Faizon Brandon Anytime Touchdown
My Georgia Tech vs. Tennessee best bets are on the Volunteers to cover the spread and on Faizon Brandon as an anytime touchdown scorer. Find the best line available on our live NCAAF odds page.
Tennessee vs Georgia Tech Odds
| Tennessee Odds | ||
|---|---|---|
| Spread | Total | Moneyline |
-12.5 -110 | 55.5 -105o / -115u | -530 |
| Georgia Tech Odds | ||
|---|---|---|
| Spread | Total | Moneyline |
+12.5 -110 | 55.5 -105o / -115u | +390 |
- Tennessee vs Georgia Tech point spread: Tennessee -12.5 (-110), Georgia Tech +12.5 (-110)
- Tennessee vs Georgia Tech over/under: 55.5 (-105o / -115u)
- Tennessee vs Georgia Tech moneyline: Tennessee -530, Georgia Tech +390
Tennessee vs Georgia Tech College Football Preview
Tennessee Volunteers Betting Preview: Brandon Looking Good
The 20th-ranked Vols enter Week 2 with a ton of momentum after blasting Furman 59-6 in a game Tennessee could've easily won by well over 50 points.
Josh Heupel enters his sixth season as Tennessee head coach and will surely be looking for redemption following the Volunteers’ blowout loss to Ohio State in the 2025 College Football Playoff.
The Vols are led by freshman five-star QB Faizon Brandon, who looked phenomenal in Tennessee’s Week 1 victory. He posted 226 yards and three passing touchdowns, in addition to racking up 68 yards on the ground with two rushing scores.
Tennessee blends a strong 2026 recruiting class that features several five-star prospects with many key transfer portal additions.
DeSean Bishop returns to lead the Tennessee backfield after posting over 1,000 yards on the ground and six rushing touchdowns in 2025.
Bishop got off to a great start in Tennessee’s blowout victory over Furman, recording nearly 100 yards on the ground while also finding the end zone.
The Vols boast a ton of talent at the WR position as well, with an extremely athletic receiving corps spotlighted by Mike Matthews and Braylon Staley.
The Vols' defense is headed by newly-hired DC Jim Knowles, who aims to shift Tennessee’s defense into a multiple 4-2-5 and hybrid structural scheme designed to increase physicality and consistency.
Xavier Gilliam anchors the interior alongside sophomore Ethan Utley and true freshman JJ Finch. Jordan Norman is expected to play a major role in the Volunteers’ pass rush, as well.
Georgia Tech Yellow Jackets Betting Preview: Younger Mendoza in Fold
Brent Key enters his fourth season at the helm in what's expected to be a very difficult campaign for the Yellow Jackets, who will have to navigate a challenging 11-game power-four schedule.
Alberto Mendoza, the younger brother of Fernando, the Heisman Trophy winner and the Raiders’ first overall NFL draft selection, takes over as QB1 after Haynes King graduated.
Mendoza is praised for his high football IQ and accuracy in a pro-style system run by new coordinators.
Despite a loss in their first game of the season, Mendoza looked remarkable in his first start at QB1, throwing for 237 yards on just 23 attempts.
Georgia Tech’s offense is expected to lean into more of a physical approach, utilizing multiple tight ends and running backs to establish the run.
Jason Semore takes over as the Yellow Jackets’ defensive coordinator this season. The unit will boast more of an aggressive approach in an attacking scheme centered around linebackers Kyle Efford and EJ Lightsey.
Semore’s defensive schemes largely focuses on disrupting opposing offenses’ rhythm at all costs, thanks to an aggressive pass rush with a foundation that emphasizes forcing turnovers.
Tennessee vs Georgia Tech Pick, Betting Analysis
While I definitely think 12.5 is a sizable number to cover on the road — especially when your starting QB will be playing in just his second collegiate game — I'm so high on Brandon’s upside this season as an electric dual-threat.
Though I expect the Yellow Jackets to hang around early (I'm a huge fan of Mendoza), I think Tennessee is the far superior team on both sides of the football, and Georgia Tech will be overwhelmed with the significant athleticism differential.
Despite Mendoza throwing for nearly 250 passing yards in his first game as Georgia Tech's starting QB, the Yellow Jackets' offense looked largely stagnant, scoring just 13 points. It'll also be playing a Tennessee defense that boasts a ton of size and physicality.
I'm inclined to back the Vols to cover their 12.5 spread as my primary betting angle.
As a secondary betting angle, I'll be looking to target Brandon in player prop markets in what I expect to be another huge statistical performance for the Vols’ young QB.
While the Yellow Jackets' defense aims to make improvements under Semore, it still struggled mightily in its opening game when it came to getting to the quarterback. The Jackets sacked Colorado QB Julian Lewis just once in the opener.
I expect this to be a major problem versus Brandon, thus that's why I'll be backing the Vols’ youngster to find the back of the end zone.
Picks: Tennessee -12.5 | Faizon Brandon Anytime Touchdown
