Tennessee vs. Purdue 2021 Music City Bowl Odds, Preview & Pick

By Hank Blaine • December 30, 2021

Two high-scoring teams clash on Thursday when the Purdue Boilermakers host the Tennessee Volunteers. The Boilermakers finished at 8-4 while Tennessee ends their season with a 7-5 record. Which team gets it done over the Tennessee Titans’ home field, Nissan Stadium in Nashville? See below for NCAAF odds, analysis, and a free pick for Volunteers versus Boilermakers.

Tennessee vs. Purdue 2021 Music City Bowl Game Information

? It’s the most wonderful time of the year! ???? ????

ℹ️ @RuoffMortgage @MusicCityBowl | #BoilerUp pic.twitter.com/xK2n358bTp
— Purdue Football (@BoilerFootball) December 26, 2021

When: Thu, Dec. 30 at 3:00 pm ET
Where: Nissan Stadium, Nashville, Tennessee
TV: ESPN
Radio: WIVK 107.7 FM (Tennessee) / 96.5 FM (Purdue)
Live Stream: WatchESPN
College Football Odds: Tennessee (-6) / Purdue (+6)

Why Bet on the Tennessee Volunteers?

By the end of the season, Tennessee’s offense had become one of the Top 10 scoring teams in the nation. The Vols averaged 458.7 yards per game and ended up scoring an average of 38.8 each contest, ranking ninth in the country.

Quarterback Hendon Hooker threw just 3 picks to 26 touchdowns. He completed 69% of his passes. Running back Jabari Small averaged 5.4 yards per carry on his way to 611 yards. WR Cedric Tillman caught 57 passes for 931 yards.

The Vols were decent at protecting the football. Tennessee had 9 turnovers. Tennessee’s defense played okay. The Volunteers gave up 404.6 yards per game. Opponents averaged 27.5 points. Byron Young led the team in sacks with 5.5 while Jaylon McCollough had 3 picks. The Vols forced 10 takeaways this season.

Why Bet on the Purdue Boilermakers?

Purdue fields one of the top passing games in college football. The Boilermakers rank eighth in passing yards per game with 340.5. The passing attack starts with quarterback Aidan O’Connell. The junior completed 73.5% of his passes during the season. O’Connell threw for 23 touchdowns and 3,178 yards. The Boilermakers averaged over 27 points per game. Purdue turned the ball over just 7 times.

Purdue has one of the Big Ten’s top defenses. The Boilermakers allowed just 342.9 total yards per game. Teams had trouble adjusting to Purdue’s D. Opponents averaged just 194.6 passing yards and 148.3 rushing yards. Purdue allowed just 20.5 points each game. The Boilermakers forced 13 turnovers.

Tennessee vs. Purdue Betting Trends

Volunteers are 4-1 ATS in their last 5 games as a favorite.
Tennessee is 3-10 ATS versus a team with a winning record.
Over is 5-0 in Tennessee’s last 5 games on grass.
Boilermakers are 2-6 Ats in their last 8 bowl games.
Purdue is 4-1 ATS in their last 5 neutral site games.
Over is 5-0 in Purdue’s last 5 bowl games.

Tennessee vs. Purdue Expert Betting Predictions

Although Purdue will be without their best offensive player, wide receiver David Bell, the Vols could be down starting quarterback Hendon Hooker. Hooker has a hand injury. Bowl games are meaningless unless it’s a College Football Playoff bowl. So if Hooker can’t go, Tennessee’s coaching staff won’t force him to step onto the field.

Without Hooker, Purdue has a huge advantage at quarterback. O’Connell is a very good player. Yes, he leaned on Bell in most games, but O’Connell has had plenty of time to prepare for Bell’s absence. Not only that, but Purdue has the better defense. Tennessee’s isn’t bad, it just isn’t as good as the Boilermakers’.

The one advantage the Vols do have is that the Music City Bowl takes place in Nashville. But the advantage doesn’t equate to 5.5 points. It especially doesn’t equate to 5.5 points if Hooker can’t play. Purdue is the pick.

Check out our latest sports betting guides for the 2021 College Football season. Stay tuned for more Football previews and articles and don’t forget to check out the latest Football betting odds at our online Bitcoin sportsbook.

*All odds stated are subject to change without prior notice.