Tennessee vs Syracuse Prediction, Game Preview & Betting Lines: College Football 2025

Originally posted on College Football News
By Pete Fiutak | Last updated Aug 27, 2025 1:15 AM ET

It's an interesting Week 1 test case for both teams.

Syracuse is coming off a fantastic first season under head coach Fran Brown, cranking up the nation's most dangerous passing game and knocking Miami out of the College Football Playoff hunt along the way.

There's plenty of change happening with the Orange, and this year, the schedule is a whole lot nastier with this, and road dates at Clemson, SMU, Georgia Tech, Miami, and Notre Dame to deal with.

Helped in a big way by the Orange, Tennessee got into the College Football Playoff last year. This year's team has to find the same formula, but with quarterback Nico Iamaleava now off being a UCLA Bruin.

Georgia opens up the SEC schedule in two weeks, so there's no room for any misfire right away.

College Football 2025 Week 1: Tennessee vs Syracuse Odds, Prediction & Preview

Tennessee vs Syracuse How To Watch
Date: Saturday, August 30, 2025
Game Time: 12:00 PM ET
TV: ABC
Location: Mercedes-Benz Stadium, Atlanta, GA

Why Syracuse Will Win

Start throwing, keep throwing, and don't stop throwing.

Syracuse bombed away on everyone last season, but quarterback Kyle McCord is done after leading the nation in passing.

In comes Steve Angeli from Notre Dame to try keeping it all going. At the very least, the Orange will press a Vol defense that has depth and upside, but loses top pass rusher James Pearce.

On the other side, can the offense replace Iamaleava and heart-and-soul Dylan Sampson? There's talent in the backfield, but there's a big step back. However ...

Why Tennessee Will Win

The Syracuse defense wasn't a brick wall last year, and it'll need a bit to find the right rotation with all the new transfers coming in.

The linebacking corps will be okay, and the line is fine, but it's nothing the Vols shouldn't be able to handle. As long as the Tennessee offense is just okay, the defense should take care of the rest.

There aren't a ton of transfers coming in because they're not needed. There's a ton of depth, several All-SEC talents, and they should all keep the Orange ground game from doing much of anything.

Tennessee vs Syracuse Who Will Win

Will the two offenses fire away like everyone will be hoping for? They'll try, but the Vols will be too good defensively to let this get into a shootout.

Tennessee won't take too many chances. It'll control the tempo early, and the game will start to get away from Syracuse midway through the third.

Tennessee vs Syracuse Prediction, Betting Lines

Tennessee 34, Syracuse 17
Consensus Line: Tennessee -14, o/u: 50.5
ATS Confidence out of 5: 3
Must See Rating: 3.5

Consensus Line from BetMGM, Caesars, DraftKings, and FanDuel. Game odds refresh periodically and are subject to change. If you or someone you know has a gambling problem and wants help, call 1-800-GAMBLER.

This article first appeared on College Football News and was syndicated with permission.

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