Tennessee vs lllinois Prediction, Spread & Opt Outs for Music City Bowl

• Tennessee meets Illinois in the Music City Bowl on Tuesday, December 30th
• Illinois is 11-4-1 ATS in its last 16 games
• Dive into the Tennessee vs Illinois prediction, spread & opt outs for the Music City Bowl

Tennessee takes on Illinois in the 2025 Music City Bowl on Tuesday, December 30th. The Volunteers are 3.5-point favorites, with the total set at a massive 61.5 points. Be sure to get your bets in before kickoff at 5:30 p.m. ET on ESPN.

Lock in with my Tennessee vs Illinois prediction, spread and opt outs below.

Tennessee vs Illinois Prediction

• Illinois wins and covers the spread

My Tennessee vs Illinois prediction backs the Fighting Illini to cover the spread in the Music City Bowl.

Quarterback Joey Aguilar leads the 8-4 Volunteers into the Music City Bowl. Aguilar threw for 3,444 yards and 24 touchdowns while leading a Tennessee attack that finished 12th in success rate and 27th in offensive EPA per play this season. Josh Heupel’s offense is 10th in the nation in total offense, putting up over 460 yards and 37.9 points per game.

However, the Volunteers’ Achilles heel is a defense surrendering over 400 yards and nearly 30 points per game this season. The advanced stats make the defensive effort look even worse. Tennessee is a brutal 129th in defensive success rate allowed and is 90th in EPA against the pass and 126th in EPA against the run.

Now, the Fighting Illini offense is nowhere near as explosive as the Volunteers. But senior quarterback Luke Altmyer (21 touchdowns, five interceptions) leads a balanced attack that put up over 27 points per game in a robust Big Ten conference.

Add in the fact that Tennessee’s front has been brutal at stopping the run, and Illinois runs the ball nearly 53% of the time, and we have the makings of an upset.

Tennessee will have to get a changed defensive lineup organized with an interim defensive coordinator against the veteran savvy of Altmyer. On the flip side, most of the Illinois defense has played together for years under the leadership of coordinator Aaron Henry.

The Fighting Illini have the pieces to turn this Tennessee vs Illinois matchup into a slow-paced trench battle and cover the spread.

Remember, this spread opened with the Volunteers as 8.5-point favorites and has been bet all the way down to 3.5. Follow the sharp money and back the Fighting Illini as underdogs in the 2025 Music City Bowl.

• Music City Bowl Pick: Illinois +3.5

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Tennessee vs Illinois Spread

The Tennessee vs Illinois spread has the Volunteers as 3.5-point favorites in the Music City Bowl. The total sits at 61.5, with the over and under both priced at -110.

Bettors love the Volunteers in this matchup, as 91% of moneyline wagers and 74% of spread bets are on Tennessee in the college football public betting splits.

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Odds as of December 30th at FanDuel. Look for the best college football betting apps for Tennessee vs Illinois.

Tennessee vs Illinois Opt Outs

The Tennessee vs Illinois opt outs are fairly limited for the Music City Bowl, which will keep this matchup as a best-against-best showdown.

However, star receiver Chris Brazzell has opted out for the Volunteers, with defensive starters Joshua Josephs, Arion Carter, Colton Hood and Jermod McCoy joining him on the sidelines.

Now a team that recruits as well as Tennessee does in the SEC should have plenty of depth. But overcoming the loss of their star receiver, as well as four defensive starters, is a tough spot to be in.

On the Illinois side, three players are opting out: edge Gabe Jacus, offensive tackle JC Davis and safety Matthew Bailey. Jacus, who leads the team with 11 sacks, and Bailey (76 tackles) are big losses for the Fighting Illini stop unit.