Northwestern finished its regular season with a five-game winning streak, going 4-1 against the spread; Tennessee also finished with five wins in a row to go along with five covers over its last seven games. The Wildcats battle the Volunteers in the Outback Bowl on New Year's Day in Tampa, Florida.
Outback Bowl point spread: Volunteers opened as nine-point favorites, according to sportsbooks monitored by Odds Shark. (Line updates and matchup report)
College football pick, via Odds Shark computer: 31.0-23.0 Volunteers
Why the Wildcats can cover the spread
Northwestern opened this season 5-0, with a stunner of an upset over Stanford, before losing back-to-back games to Michigan and Iowa.