The Tennessee Volunteers take on the Illinois Fighting Illini in the 2025 Music City Bowl in Nashville on Tuesday, Dec. 30. Kickoff is set for 5:30 p.m. ET on ESPN.
Tennessee is favored by 3 points on the spread with a moneyline of -160. Illinois, meanwhile, enters as a +3 underdog and is +140 on the moneyline to pull off the upset. The over/under sits at 61.5 total points.
Here’s my Tennessee vs. Illinois prediction and college football picks for Tuesday, December 30.
Tennessee vs Illinois Prediction
- Tennessee vs. Illinois Pick: Illinois +2.5
My Illinois vs. Tennessee best bet is on the Illini to cover the spread. Find the best line available on our live NCAAF odds page.
Tennessee vs Illinois Odds
| Tennessee Odds | ||
|---|---|---|
| Spread | Total | Moneyline |
-3 -110 | 61.5 -110o / -110u | -160 |
| Illinois Odds | ||
|---|---|---|
| Spread | Total | Moneyline |
+3 -110 | 61.5 -110o / -110u | +140 |
- Tennessee vs Illinois Spread: Tennessee -3, Illinois +3
- Tennessee vs Illinois Over/Under: 61.5 Points
- Tennessee vs Illinois Moneyline: Tennessee -160, Illinois +140
Tennessee vs Illinois Music City Bowl Preview
Tennessee Volunteers Betting Preview: Salvaging a Season
A season that started with high hopes ended up being somewhat disappointing for the Volunteers. Tennessee won five of its first six games, with the only loss coming in excruciatingly painful fashion to Georgia at home.
At the time, it felt like that loss would hold the Vols back from a College Football Playoff berth, and it certainly played a part.
A consistent theme throughout the season was UT being unable to get a key stop when it really needed one. That was the case in a 17-point loss at Alabama, in a home loss to Oklahoma and in the regular-season finale against Vanderbilt.
Defensive coordinator Tim Banks was fired earlier this month as a result, with head coach Josh Heupel bringing in Jim Knowles to replace him beginning next year.
As poorly as the Tennessee defense was for most of the year, the offense was explosive and a top-20 unit in America.
Quarterback Joey Aguilar has thrown for just under 3,500 yards on the year and tossed 24 touchdowns in the process. DeSean Bishop has been a reliable back that Heupel could turn to in short-yardage situations.
One thing that plagued Aguilar was in the interception department, throwing double-digit picks over the course of the season with a couple in some critical moments.
For the Vols to finish the year with a ninth victory, Aguilar must play a clean game, and the defense led by interim DC William Inge will need to step up against an efficient Illini offense.
Illinois Fighting Illini Betting Preview: Looking to End Season on High Note
Head coach Bret Bielema has provided stability to an Illinois football program that desperately needed it before he arrived in Champaign.
Some pundits had the Illini pegged as a sleeper College Football Playoff team this season. That didn't prove to be the case, but another eight-win regular season is nothing to scoff at.
Quarterback Luke Altmyer came back for another season, and he has lived up to expectations in his final college season. Altmyer had a 21:5 touchdown-to-interception ratio in 2024, and entering the bowl game, that 21:5 split is exactly where he's at in 2025.
He's also been the unquestioned leader of this team and made plays in key moments in victories over USC, Northwestern, Duke and others.
I will say, I expected a bit more from the Illini defense given the personnel it returned from a year ago.
Illinois has graded out as a pretty mediocre defensive unit in 2025, and that side of the ball held the team back in losses to Washington and Indiana.
Too many big plays have been surrendered, and the pass rush has been inconsistent for most of the season.
In the matchup Tuesday afternoon against a dynamic Tennessee attack, the Illini will need to make tackles in space and force Aguilar and company to methodically move the ball down the field.
Altmyer and the Illinois offense should have plenty of paths to success, so forcing a turnover or two would also be key in helping the Illini create some distance from the Vols.
Tennessee vs Illinois Pick, Betting Analysis
In a bowl season filled with opt-outs, this is a rare game where most of the core pieces for each team will suit up.
There are a couple of guys sitting out on both sides, but overall, this will be good-on-good. It should be one of the more fun bowl matchups to watch.
I expect this tilt to come right down to the wire, so I see some value on the Illini as a small underdog as a result.
Altmyer has had a heck of a career in Champaign, and I expect the veteran to be at his best in his final game against a Tennessee defense that has dominated all season.
The Volunteers will certainly score their fair share of points as well, but can you really expect them to create margin when they haven't stopped a nosebleed all season?
I give Illinois a real chance of winning the Music City Bowl outright, so I'll gladly back Bielema's team catching a couple of points in what should be a classic in Nashville.
Pick: Illinois +2.5
