After leading Tennessee to a 10-win regular season for the first time since 2003 in his second year on Rocky Top, Josh Heupel has earned a spot in the Orange Bowl.

On December 30 at 8 p.m. ET in Miami, Florida, the No. 6 Vols will take on No. 7 Clemson in the historic bowl game.

Let's dive into how experts across the country predict the battle between the two teams clad in orange will play out.

For every game, ESPN Analytics provides a percentage for who it predicts will come out on top. In this year's Orange Bowl, it gives a slight edge to the Vols.

However, this raises the question, how accurate is ESPN Analytics at predicting games?

In data put together by SB Nation earlier this season, it's done an okay job. Through the first six weeks of the 2022 season, ESPN has correctly predicted six out of nine Pac-12 contests that fell between 50-60% confidence. This means that in games that are largely considered a coin-flip (like the Orange Bowl), ESPN has correctly predicted the winner more often than not.

The issue is, it is unclear if ESPN is factoring in the loss of Hendon Hooker and the opt-outs of Jalin Hyatt and Cedric Tillman. The company's FPI ranking of the Vols at No. 5 and the Tigers at No. 9 likely played a large factor in the decision, instead.

FanDuel Sportsbook along with a majority of sportsbooks around the country give Clemson just under a touchdown advantage.

Despite the news surrounding Hyatt and Tillman's decision to forego the game, the line has mostly stayed set since opening. If anything, it has trended towards Tennessee with the line opening at around -6 at most locations.

The decision to change the line in Tennessee's favor comes from the amount of money placed on the Vols. According to FanDuel, 83% of the money and 70% of the bets placed have been on Tennessee to cover.

The moneyline currently sits at -215 for Clemson and +176 for Tennessee.

CBS Sports HQ didn't look at who they think will win the game, but rather which line they were willing to bet on.

In the case of Chip Patterson and Tom Fornelli, they both selected the Vols to cover. This doesn't necessarily mean they think Tennessee will win - rather that they will win or lose by less than seven points.

In Patterson's explanation for his pick, he notes two key components.

First, he says that he understands the Vols will be without some key pieces, but that Clemson has been plagued by the transfers. By Dec. 4, there were already nine players in the transfer portal that began the year at Clemson. He thinks that these departures will leave holes that the Tigers will struggle to fill.

His second reason is the motivation on both sidelines. He says that Clemson is used to playing in the College Football Playoffs and may not care as much about an appearance in a New Years Six bowl. On the other hand, Tennessee has been deprived of this moment for years - making this game even more important.

For these two factors, the pair of CBS Sports HQ analysts are taking the Vols +6.5.

Eddie Timanus of USA TODAY gives the Tigers a touchdown advantage in the matchup.

He cites the lack of health and opt-outs for the Vols as the reason he gives Clemson the edge.

"If both teams were at full strength, this would have instant classic potential," said Timanus in his article. "But there are more questions around Tennessee."

In terms of the actual game, he gives the advantage to Clemson's offense, run defense, special teams and coaching while Tennessee holds the edge in just its pass offense.

Six other USA TODAY analysists also picked the Tigers to win.

Joe Tansey of Bleacher Report also sees a close battle, but he leans towards the Vols in the duel.

In his article, he looks at the pair of unlikely starting quarterbacks. In the case of Tennessee, he says Joe Milton III will be motivated to prove himself after losing the job a year ago. For Clemson, he notes that Cade Klubnik will also look to prove himself vs. a powerful SEC opponent in his first career start.

"Both quarterbacks have plenty to prove and that may lead to a high-scoring game," said Tansey.

This and absences in the middle of the Tigers' defense led to Tansey favoring the Vols.

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