Where does Alabama stand in the odds to win the SEC?

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There’s been a lot of talk lately about where Alabama stands with the SEC, with plenty of talking heads out there dropping the Tide all the way down to 6th or 7th in the conference. Shoot, Bleacher Report recently dropped the Tide all the way to 8th.

Hating on Alabama in en vogue right now. People have been shooting their shot at predicting demise in Tuscaloosa ever since 2014, but with the Tide finally proving some people right with the way last season ended, people are getting more bold with their doubts.

Despite that, the betting services aren’t quite so sure. Going by the FanDuel sportsbook, Alabama is +900 to win the SEC, tied with LSU for the 4th best odds in the conference behind Georgia, Texas, and weirdly, Oklahoma. For now, UGA is still the king at +270 to win the SEC, even though it seems like Texas is all anyone has talked about this offseason. I’m not totally sure how Oklahoma is getting more love than the Tide, though. The two teams looked nearly identical last year with good defensive play and atrocious run games, but Alabama had a little better passing attack, plus they, you know, won against Oklahoma and got the reward of having to play the Indiana buzzsaw.

Tied with Alabama is LSU, who is all the talk of the town right now with their new coach and whole new high-dollar transfer portal roster. They could be the best team in the whole country, or the whole thing could blow up – who really knows until we see them on the field.

The next tier is Ole Miss and Texas A&M. The Rebels had a strong finish to the season last year when Pete Golding took over, and I think they’re a good candidate as a “Dark Horse”, as they bring back a veteran roster and QB. The only real question is if their late season surge when Golding took over as an interim coach was a short-term emotional boost, or something they can sustain.

The Aggies…. I don’t know, man. I just don’t buy them. They skated by on a weirdly easy schedule a year ago, and I’m not sure they have the passing game to really go anywhere.

Tennessee and Florida are solidly in the middle tier of the SEC, and then the odds drop sharply to +3500 and +4000 for Missouri, Auburn, and South Carolina. Do any of them have a shot at dethroning the top of the SEC? Nah.

If you want the best bet to not lose your money? Pick Georgia, there’s nobody else that’s earned that level of trust outside of Kirby Smart. Texas? I don’t think they’re worth the risk of barely having more payout than picking UGA.

Alabama and Ole Miss, though, I think those are the two most undervalued teams in this group. If Keelon Russell hits for Alabama, or Ole Miss proves to maintain their performance with Golding as a full time coach, then I think both squads can jump up to win the conference.

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