SEC picks: Why Tennessee football is a great bet vs Alabama. And why I'm picking Vols | Adams

Alabama’s 15-game winning streak against Tennessee is in jeopardy Saturday at Neyland Stadium. The betting line tells you that.

The No. 1 Tide are favored by a mere 7.5 points in a matchup of unbeaten teams. Can you remember the last time Alabama wasn’t a double-digit favorite over the Vols? Hint: It wasn't during the Derek Dooley era.

It’s easy to remember when this rivalry became a runaway. That was January 3, 2007, when Alabama hired Nick Saban as its coach.

The following October, the Tide faced Tennessee without three suspended players – two starting offensive linemen and second-leading rusher Glen Coffee. They were unfazed by the attrition in a 41-17 victory that began with Alabama successfully executing an onside kick.

Alabama has been kicking the Vols ever since, and only two games in the 15-game streak have been close.

But all streaks come to an end. And Tennessee already has ended losing streaks to Pittsburgh, Florida and LSU this season.

Is Alabama next?

Tennessee 34, Alabama 27: Vols coach Josh Heupel’s up-tempo, spread offense is the right system to beat the Tide. He also might have the right defensive system if Heisman Trophy quarterback Bryce Young is unable to play – or isn’t at the top of his game because of an injury to his throwing shoulder.

LSU 27, Florida 24: Passing is supposed to be paramount in college football. So, how do you explain what happened to the Tigers and Gators last week?

LSU quarterback Jayden Daniels passed for 300 yards, but the Tigers were overwhelmed 40-13 by Tennessee. Florida quarterback Anthony Richardson completed eight of 14 passes for a mere 68 yards, but the Gators prevailed against Missouri.

What does that tell me?

Answer: Nothing. Halfway through the season, I’ve already lost interest in both teams. But I wish them the best.

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Ole Miss 34, Auburn 17: Lane Kiffin’s Ole Miss offense is fun to watch. Bryan Harsin’s Auburn offense is fun to watch if you bet on the opposing team.

Auburn running back Tank Bigsby should be second-guessing himself for not transferring. And Auburn boosters should be second-guessing themselves for firing Gus Malzahn.

If you just thought, “Boosters don’t fire coaches,” you know nothing about Auburn football.

SABAN:Why Tennessee football isn't hungry for Nick Saban’s rat poison

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TOPPMEYER:Tennessee football fans want Alabama – even after SEC expansion. Here's how I know

Georgia 48, Vanderbilt 10: Commodores coach Clark Lea was asked about his 21-game SEC losing streak in preseason at SEC Media Days.

“We don’t talk about that,” he said. “That’s not who we are.”

In fact, that’s exactly who you are. The Commodores 21-game conference losing streak has since grown to 24 games.

Fans who want to reminisce about the good ol’ days of Vanderbilt football should be looking forward to Oct. 19, the third anniversary of the Commodores' last SEC win. Light a candle.

Mississippi State 34, Kentucky 27: That’s based on Wildcats quarterback Will Levis returning from injury. If he can't play, change that “27” to a “7.”

Kentucky coach Mark Stoops apologized for his team “not delivering” against South Carolina. That tells you how far the program has advanced under his leadership.

Imagine how monotonous it would have become if past Kentucky coaches had apologized for their failures. The Wildcats had six consecutive losing seasons from 2010 through 2015. They also went from 1990 through 1997 without a winning season.

BYU 27, Arkansas 20: I have no idea why the Razorbacks scheduled a nonconference game in Provo, Utah, for the middle of the season. That’s just asking for trouble.

Their troubles already have been piling up. They have lost back-to-back games to Texas A&M and Mississippi State, and their depth chart has been depleted by injuries.

Things are so bad that SEC columnist Blake Toppmeyer is officially off the Arkansas bandwagon.

Record: 49-9 (.845), 27-23 (.540) against the spread.

John Adams is a senior columnist. He may be reached at 865-342-6284 or john.adams@knoxnews.com. Follow him at: twitter.com/johnadamkns.

This article originally appeared on Knoxville News Sentinel: Why Tennessee football is a great bet vs Alabama and other SEC picks