Free Pick: Music City Bowl at Nashville 12/30/21

Purdue 8-4 vs. Tennessee 7-5

This is a matchup between two teams that exceeded the preseason predictions that were made about them. The Boilermakers had one of their best seasons in years and would like to cap it off with a victory over an SEC team. Meanwhile, the Volunteers had a bunch of players leave through the portal before the 2021 season, but under the direction of new coach, Josh Heupel, they finished with a very respectful 7-5 record. This will be like a home game for Tennessee as lots of Volunteer fans will make the drive up from nearby Knoxville.

TOTAL TEAM POINTS:

Purdue: 30 Total Team Points I’m a little surprised that Purdue has such a high team point total. They are averaging 28 points per game through the regular season and quarterback, Aidan O’Connell is averaging 289 yards passing per game. They have struggled running the ball and that has hurt them against good teams. In their 4 losses, they scored 13 against Notre Dame, Minnesota, and Wisconsin, and 31 against Ohio State. The Tennessee defense isn’t great and there will be opportunities for Purdue to score. I like Purdue UNDER 30 team points.

Tennessee: 33.5 Total Team Points The Volunteers can put up points and Heupel’s teams are known for productivity on offense. They are averaging 39 points per game and feature a balanced offense and they have scored over 34 points in 8 of their 12 games. I will take Tennessee OVER 33.5 Total Team Points.

OVER/UNDER: 64 Combined Team Points This line is pretty tricky and reaching it will depend on how many points the Purdue offense scores. I’m staying away from this betting angle, but if forced to pick, I would say UNDER 62.5 combined team points.

POINT SPREAD: Tennessee is a 5-point favorite I think both of these teams are happy to be in a bowl game and will show up emotionally ready to play. They both would love a win to springboard them into the 2022 season. Both of the Dudes like the fact that this will be like a home game for Tennessee.

DUDES WHO BET SPORTS: Tennessee -5