Tennessee wrapped up what was an up-and-down 2023 regular season in resounding fashion against in-state SEC rival Vanderbilt on Saturday, racing to a 48-24 win to cap off an 8-4 record.
The win snapped the Vols’ two-game losing streak and stabilized the program’s year-end conference record to an even 4-4, with Tennessee finishing third in the SEC East, behind Georgia (8-0) and Missouri (6-2).
Now, the Vols’ await their bowl game fate, with the formal announcement coming during Sunday’s rollout of postseason allotments — a day that will certainly spark significant Tennessee sports betting interest. Here’s where we see the Vols’ playing during the bowl season:
Where Will Volunteers Play This Bowl Season?
Trip to Jacksonville Becomes More Likely
The overwhelming favorite to land Tennessee this bowl season is Jacksonville’s TaxSlayer Gator Bowl, which comes in at -900. The game pits teams from the SEC and either the ACC or Big Ten. Tennessee last played in the North Florida game in 2019 under then coach Jeremy Pruitt, with the Vols’ beating Indiana, 23-22, to cap off an 8-5 season.
Other potential bowl games include Nashville’s Music City Bowl, which comes in at +900. It would be the program’s first trip to the game since 2021. That year, Tennessee lost a shootout to Purdue, 48-45, putting a sour final note on a 7-6 campaign in Josh Heupel’s first season.
This weekend, Tennessee and the rest of the SEC will be watching Alabama face off with Georgia for the league’s championship. ESPN BET Tennessee lists Georgia as a 6-point favorite with an over/under of 54.5 points.
Tennessee Volunteers Bowl Projection FAQs
The latest bowl projection for the 2023 Tennessee Volunteers puts them at the Gator Bowl. The Music City Bowl is a distant second, as the hypothetical odds for the Volunteers are currently set at -900 and +900, respectively.
The Tennessee Volunteers are no stranger to bowl games, sporting a 30-25 record dating back to their first bowl game in 1939. They made a bowl game just last year after a phenomenal season, beating the Clemson Tigers 31-14 in the Orange Bowl.
Tennessee has played in the Sugar Bowl the most throughout the history of their program, competing a total of 7 times. Their last Sugar Bowl appearance came way back in 1991, a 23-22 victory over Virginia. Their first Sugar Bowl appearance was exactly 50 years prior in 1941, a 19-13 loss to Boston College.
The Tennessee Volunteers have faced off against the Maryland Terrapins in 5 bowl games. Maryland holds the edge over Tennessee with a 3-2 record. The last time the two competed was back in 2002 in the Peach Bowl.
Author
Christopher Boan writes for BetTennessee.com and has been covering sports and sports betting for more than seven years, with experience at ArizonaSports.com, the Tucson Weekly and the Green Valley News.
