Tennessee Volunteers vs. Ball State Cardinals Odds, Line, Picks, and Prediction - September 1 | 2022 NCAA Football Season

The Tennessee Volunteers will play at home against the Ball State Cardinals Thursday night. Tennessee finished 7-6 last season, while Ball State ended at 6-7. Tennessee had a pretty good season considering they had to endure a challenging schedule in the SEC. Their season came to an end with a disappointing bowl loss, though, in which they fell 48-45 in overtime to Purdue in the Music City Bowl.

The Volunteers were excellent offensively last year, especially on the ground. They averaged 475 offensive yards, and they ranked 12th in rushing yards per game. Looking at the passing game, the Vols ranked 40th in the nation, which is still pretty solid.

The Vols have added wide receiver Bru McCoy to strengthen their receiving core, a transfer from USC. He's joining returning senior Cedric Tillman, who tallied 1,081 yards and 12 touchdowns last season. Look for these offensive weapons to help out quarterback Hendon Hooker in the opener.

On the other side, Ball State had an easy schedule as a result of playing in the MAC conference. Their offense was abysmal last year, ranking 111th in total yards. On the other side of the ball, they did rank in the top 40 in yards against and turnovers forced. If they are going to have any chance, senior cornerback Ameche Uzodinma will have to do a good job shutting down Tennessee's top receivers.

"WAKE UP VOL NATION IT'S GAMEDAY! #GBO" - Vol_Football

Tennessee's defense was pretty good in 2021, as they ranked 33rd-best in total offense given up. They did, however, have issues stopping yards in the air, as they were worse than 121 teams in this category. This isn't too surprising, considering how stacked the SEC is. It shouldn't be a concern on Thursday.

Tennessee Volunteers vs. Ball State Cardinals Match Details

Fixture: Ball State Cardinals @ Tennessee Volunteers

Date & Time: Thursday, September 1, 7:00 p.m. EDT

Venue: Neyland Stadium, Knoxville, Tennessee

Tennessee Volunteers vs. Ball State Cardinals Betting Odds

Team	Over/Under	Spread
Ball State Cardinals	Over 66 (-115)	+35.5 (-110)
Tennessee Volunteers	Under 66 (-105)	-35.5 (-110)

Tennessee Volunteers vs. Ball State Cardinals Betting Prediction

Ball State will be relying on a new quarterback to get their season started on the right foot. As huge underdogs, though, John Paddock will have a very difficult matchup on opening night as his team travels to Knoxville. Talent-wise, Tennessee is just one spot out of the top 25, so they should be able to steamroll the Cardinals.

Expect a Volunteers squad that is bringing a lot of key pieces back to secure a blowout victory to open up their campaign.

Prediction: Tennessee Volunteers -35.5 (-110)