The playoffs are more than a month away, but Saturday’s SEC matchup between the No. 18-ranked Oklahoma Sooners (6-2, 2-2 SEC) and the No. 14-ranked Tennessee Volunteers (6-2, 3-2 SEC) could serve as a de facto elimination game.
Oklahoma jumped out to a 5-0 start before the wagon wheels began to fall off. The Sooners were throttled in the Red River Rivalry game against Texas, and Ole Miss notched an eight-point victory over Oklahoma last week.
The Volunteers’ losses have come at the hands of top SEC squads. Tennessee dropped a heartbreaker against Georgia in September, and Alabama made short work of its rival two weeks ago.
Will Tennessee or Oklahoma emerge from Neyland Stadium with a much-needed victory? We’ll cover that and provide individuals with our top three player prop bets for this highly anticipated SEC contest.
John Mateer had a blazing start to the season, earning him some early-season Heisman buzz. The Oklahoma signal-caller suffered an injury during the Auburn game in September, requiring surgery on his hand.
Poor performances against Ole Miss and Texas have dashed those Heisman hopes. For the season, Mateer has completed nearly 64 percent of his passes for 1,790 yards, eight touchdowns, and six interceptions.
His average performances against better-than-average defenses rightfully should give bettors pause. Still, Tennessee just gave up 330 yards to Kentucky – yes, the Wildcats! – in a 54-36 shootout. That’s why Mateer is nearly a lock to cover his passing prop total on Saturday.
Sophomore running back DeSean Bishop is carving out a name for himself. The 5-foot-10 runner has amassed 652 yards on 91 carries, and he’s scored nine touchdowns for the Volunteers in 2025.
On Saturday, Bishop will face one of his stiffest tests to date. The Sooners have allowed just over 100 rushing yards to their last three SEC opponents, but two players did eclipse the 70-yard plateau. That’s why bettors should take Bishop to cover this rushing prop wager by a razor-thin margin.
Senior tight end Jaren Kanak is one of Mateer’s favorite targets. The 6-foot-2 athlete has 27 receptions for 394 yards, totals that rank among the top in both categories. But after four monster games to start the season, Kanak has just nine receptions for 87 yards during Oklahoma’s past four outings.
Bettors should expect he’ll get back on track on Saturday. The Volunteers have allowed multiple tight ends to eclipse the 30-yard mark against their defense this season. Kanak will add his name to that list on Saturday, covering his receiving prop total.
In his fourth season, Oklahoma head coach Brent Venables has won at least six games every year. The problem he’s had is eclipsing that total. The Sooners finished 6-7 in 2022 and 2024, but the school’s final season in the Big 12 will serve as Venables’ best with a 10-3 record.
The reason is that Venables struggles to win big games. Oklahoma consistently finds a way to keep games close, but the Sooners do not win big games away from home. Since returning to Norman, Venables has lost every road game his team played against an AP Top 25 team. Tennessee will add to that list and win by at least a field goal on Saturday.