Syracuse at Tennessee odds: Early point spread released for 2025 matchup

The 2024 college football season has come to an end and now it’s time to look ahead to the 2025 season. That includes an interesting non-conference matchup scheduled for Week 1 between the Syracuse Orange and the Tennessee Volunteers.

The folks at FanDuel have already released an early point spread for that 2025 matchup. Tennessee is currently a 13.5-point favorite for the game. The moneyline is set at -480 for the Volunteers and +360 for the Orange. On top of that, the over-under line is currently set at 55.5 points for this non-conference matchup.

This matchup is going to be a neutral site game for Week 1. A Saturday game, it’s scheduled to be played at Mercedes-Benz Stadium in Atlanta. So, while that is significantly closer to Knoxville than it is to Syracuse, the lack of home field advantage could have its own impact on the game. The exact kickoff time and what network the game is going to be on for fans who can’t make the game hasn’t been announced yet.

Tennessee and Syracuse have actually met three times in their histories. All three of those games ended up being wins for the Volunteers. However, the two sides haven’t met since 2001. The closest the Orange ever came to winning was in 1998 when the two played a 34-33 thriller to open that season. That same year, Tennessee would go on to be an undefeated national champion. Syracuse, for its part, would play in the Orange Bowl.

Both teams are coming off good seasons in 2024. Tennessee, for its part, went 10-3 and made it to the College Football Playoff. There, they were eliminated in the opening round by the eventual national champions, Ohio State. That was head coach Josh Heupel‘s fourth season in Knoxville and now he’s going to be looking to take another major step forward in his fifth year.

For Syracuse’s part, 2024 was the first season for the program under Fran Brown. All the Orange did was go 10-3 and win the Holiday Bowl. That was a massive step forward after going 6-7 the year before Brown took over the program.

Next season, Tennessee is going to be returning star quarterback Nico Iamaleava for his second full season as the team’s starter. He’s looking to take a major step forward. Meanwhile, Syracuse is going to need to find a replacement for Kyle McCord as their own quarterback turns his attention to the next level.

For the time being, Tennessee is a two-touchdown favorite in this game. However, there is plenty of time for that to change with another Transfer Portal window, spring practice, and the entire summer to go before Week 1 comes around.