It’s cliche to call an upcoming contest a ‘must-win game’ for Tennessee and Josh Heupel, but it’s exactly what’s on the way against unranked Auburn at Neyland Stadium on Saturday. Originally, the Vols opened as 8.5-point favorites via the FanDuel Sportsbook, which calmed some nerves following their heartbreaking loss to No. 1 Texas.
Since then, however, that line has dropped by a head-turning two points to 6.5, which isn’t great for several reasons. To start, it feels like Vegas is a bit down on the Vols due to the news that standout left guard Wendell Moe Jr. is now out for the season due to his ankle injury. Does this open the door for Alex Golesh and his playmakers to potentially pull off an upset in Knoxville?
NEW: Tennessee starting LG Wendell Moe is expected to miss the remainder of the 2026 season, @PeteNakos reports. https://t.co/DofqEMpFl0pic.twitter.com/VsJTX8Ftgg
— On3 (@On3) September 30, 2026
Tennessee is now favored by 6.5 points against Auburn, instead of 8.5
At the end of the day, the players inside of the locker room aren’t going to care about the odds, but it’s still a bit perplexing as to why we are seeing such a big change. Moe’s injury no question impacts things, though, as the offensive line was downright awful against Texas and its mighty pass-rush in Week 4…