2015 Odds to Win the SEC Conference
This 2015 SEC betting outlook singles-out a few of the top teams to win this season's conference title along with my top dark horse pick that has might be able to stun the field if all the right pieces fall into place. The betting odds to win the SEC this season have been provided by BetOnline.
Alabama Crimson Tide +250
Alabama's football program under the direction of head coach Nick Saban has set the standard for excellence both in the SEC and in Division IA play for the past several seasons, so it is no big surprise that the Crimson Tide are once again favored to win their conference. Last year they were back on top after a one-year hiatus with an overall straight-up record of 12-2 that included a 7-1 run through the SEC.
To keep the Tide rolling in 2015, Alabama will have to fill a number of holes on an offense that was equally adept at both running and passing the ball to rank 16th in the nation in scoring with 36.9 points a game. The defense once again did its part by holding teams to just 18.4 points a game. Saban is a master at filling holes in this football machine, but another SEC title will probably first come down to this season's Iron Bowl on the road against Auburn.
Auburn Tigers +350
The Tigers are once again shaping up to be Alabama's biggest challenge this season. Auburn fell off the pace in 2014 after its stunning run to a West Division title in 2013 with a 4-4 record in conference play, but this is another program that knows how to quickly reload following a down year. Rest assured that the memory of last season's 1-3 slide in their final four conference games will remain ingrained in the Tigers' memory all season long.
Auburn will go with Jeremy Johnson as its new starting quarterback for the departed Nick Marshall and he will still have a wealth of talent surrounding him when it comes to running and catching the ball. Will Muschamp has taken over the reins as the team's new defensive coordinator so expect some solid play from that side of the ball as well. This combination should be able to keep the Tigers neck-and-neck with their rivals all the way to that showdown against Alabama on Nov. 28.
Georgia Bulldogs +550
I really like Georgia's position as the third-favorite to win the SEC given the fact that it has a much clearer path to the SEC title game that the first two favorites on this list. Looking back at last year's run to an overall SU record of 10-3, the Bulldogs bounced back from an early season loss to South Carolina to roll over the likes of Missouri and Auburn on their way to a 6-2 SU record in conference play.
Nick Chubb is back at running back and considered a legitimate contender for this season's Heisman Trophy. The Bulldogs also have quite a bit of talent back from a defense that was ranked 16th in the nation last season in points allowed (20.7). The biggest obstacles to a return to the top of the East Division should be a home game on Oct. 3 against Alabama followed by Tennessee and Auburn on the road.
Tennessee Volunteers +900
It has been quite a while since anyone seriously mentioned Tennessee and a SEC title in the same sentence, but the Volunteers are gaining some traction as a team to watch in the East and their current betting odds bear this out. They went 7-6 SU overall last season with a 3-5 record in conference play, but a strong 4-1 SU finish should help to carry some solid momentum into this season's campaign.
One of the big reasons for the elevated expectations has been the job that head coach Butch Jones has done during his tenure with the program. The offense should be able to move the ball through the air with quarterback Josh Dobbs and both Jalen Hurd and Alvin Kamara are in place to anchor the running game. The Vols are going to need some early success with both Georgia and Alabama on the schedule in October, but they finally have enough talent to make some noise in college football's toughest conference.