NC State opened as a 6.5-point underdog to Tennessee on Sunday afternoon and that has since shifted another point in Tennessee’s direction to 7.5. After the respective performances by these two teams in Week 1, it’s no surprise that early money is on the Volunteers.
Tennessee star freshman quarterback Nico Iamaleava threw for 312 yards in the first half against Chattanooga to stake the Vols a 45-0 lead at halftime and hit the bench after that. The Vols ended up winning 69-3. (nice)
NC State was aiming for a similar scenario, but came nowhere close to it against Western Carolina, needing its starters to play well into the fourth quarter. So you can see why the bets are going where they are.
I wouldn’t say State’s performance on Thursday is worth setting off alarms, but this doesn’t change the facts about Tennessee, which is going to terrorize a lot of people with its offense this season. Pretty good chance this is the best team State plays all season.