Free Football Picks – Take The Tennessee Volunteers

Looking for some free football picks to get you into this weekend’s sports betting action? Look no further than Knoxville, TN, where the struggling Tennessee Volunteers host the UAB Blazers.

UAB Blazers (1-2 SU, 1-2 ATS) at Tennessee Volunteers (1-2 SU, 1-2 ATS)

Saturday, September 25: 12:21 p.m. ESPN3.com

NCAA Betting Odds:

UAB: +13 ½
Tennessee: -13 ½

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While their 1-2 record leaves a lot to be desired, the Tennessee Volunteers aren’t nearly as bad as that record might indicate. Sure they’ve lost their last two games, but it’s been to two of the best teams in the country, Oregon and Florida.

To get back to .500, Tennessee will simply need to do what they do to beat an overmatched UAB Blazers squad. And it starts with a powerful running game.

When the Volunteers have played best this season, it’s been when they’ve been able to move the ball on the ground. Their most talented player may be back, Tauren Poole. The junior who patiently waited his turn behind Montario Hardesty last year, is having a monster 2010 campaign, with 295 yards and three touchdowns on the young season. Add him in with the improving Matt Simms at quarterback, who threw for a career high 259 yards against Florida last week, and it’s easy to see many people are recommending Tennessee as one of the free football picks heading into the weekend.

But just because they’re hitting the road, doesn’t mean that the UAB Blazers are just going to lay down and quit.

UAB enters this win off an improbable come from behind victory last Saturday night, where they shocked Troy by a final score of 34-33. In that game, the Blazers entered the fourth quarter trailing 26-13, before putting up 21 points for a surprising win. In that fourth quarter rally, receiver Jackie Williams had two touchdown catches, one of 36 yards and one of 44 yards. Quarterback Bryan Ellis had by far his best game of the season, throwing for 360 yards in the victory.

Still, only one of these teams is the recommended free football picks this weekend, and that’s the Tennessee Volunteers.

While their record might not be overwhelming, this is a team that showed a lot of maturity in their loss last weekend to Florida. No, they didn’t win, but they didn’t quit either, battling until the very end, before falling to what was just a better team. The box score might not have showed it, but it appeared as though this squad has finally bought into what new coach Derek Dooley is preaching, as they played hard into the fourth quarter, and held the Gators scoreless for the final 15 minutes.

With Simms continuing his development against the 105th ranked passing defense in the country, expect the Vols to put up plenty of points in a comfortable win.

The free football picks are in, and the wager to make this weekend is on Tennessee, giving just under two touchdowns at home.

The Pick: Tennessee -13 ½