SEC Tournament Preview

The Auburn Tigers snapped the Kentucky Wildcats four-year reign in the SEC Tournament last season. Linemakers expect both squads to have a say in how this year’s edition plays out with the Wildcats currently installed the odds on +175 favorites to win it all with the Tigers right behind them at +275. Each earned the double-bye along with LSU and Mississippi State which gives those four teams a major leg up in winning this tournament. That however isn’t reflected when taking the Florida Gators odds of winning it into account with Mike White’s kids only being afforded one bye into the second round. A few weeks back, Kentucky looked as if it would run away with the SEC title and then go on and make hay in the NCAA Tournament, but times have changed now with Ashton Hagans’ availability up in the air for this tournament. If that’s the case, his absence will help open the door for others to take advantage and allow for college basketball bettors to possibly cash in on some big dog tickets.

The SEC Tournament is set to tip-off on Wednesday, March 11, 2020 at 7 p.m. ET from the Bridgestone Arena in Nashville, TN. The games will be broadcast live on the SEC Network and ESPN.

CBB Betting Odds at BookMaker.eu

ODDS TO WIN SEC TOURNAMENT

Favorite to Bet: Auburn Tigers +275

I’ll be the first to admit that I backed Kentucky in both meetings with Auburn this season. I felt like I was robbed in the first meeting after the Tigers ran away and hid in the second half, but got some redemption a few weeks later when the Cats scored the 73-66 home win and cover as 5.5-point favorites. I only say this because both teams are aligned on opposite ends of the bracket. Should each hold up its end of the bargain, the rivals would partake in another huge game with ramifications after squaring off in the Final Four last season. If you remember, the Tigers went on to win that game outright in overtime as 4.5-point underdogs. This Samir Doughty kid is something special. Once he gets going, it’s tough to prevent the onslaught from coming. Just ask the Tennessee Volunteers who just got rolled up and smoked by the Tigers on their home hardwood to close the regular season; the same team that went into Rupp and defeated the Wildcats the game prior. The folks at Teamrankings.com give the Tigers a near 20 percent chance to be the last team standing come the conclusion of this tournament, and I have to say I agree with them.

Underdog to Bet: Alabama Crimson Tide +2500

The Crimson Tide finished two-games under .500 in SEC play and played to a 16-15 overall record. As it stands, Nate Oats’ kids won’t be participating in the NCAA Tournament provided it doesn’t go on to win this tournament. As laughable an idea that might sound, I wouldn’t discount what this team has been able to do and what it could do should the offense continue to score with reckless abandon. Paced by three double-digit scorers with Kira Lewis Jr.’s 18.5 points leading the charge, Bama possesses the nation’s No. 4 ranked scoring offense and No. 37 ranked efficiency. These guys can flat-out stroke the rock from deep with it converting at a 34.9 percent clip while earning a number of second and third scoring opportunities by hitting the offensive glass with the best of them. If there’s one thing you can count on in an Alabama game, it’s that one team will go down by a considerable amount only to get right back in the game. Don’t be scared off by the way it closed the season (0-4 ATS), Alabama still went a moneymaking 19-11 ATS and was bound to experience some negative regression. Should it fall into an early hole for as long as it lasts, make it a point to get you some Crimson Tide on the readjusted live betting lines and thank me later.

Longshot to Bet: Texas A&M Aggies +6600

I loved Buzz Williams when he was at Marquette. I also loved him when he was at Virginia Tech. The dude’s a good coach, and that was never more apparent this season with the job he’s done in College Station to turn the Texas A&M Aggies basketball program around in such a short amount of time. A year removed from going 6-12 in SEC play and 13-17 overall, the Aggies shocked many in 2019-20 by going 16-14 overall and 10-8 in SEC play; quite the turnaround! This is a team that won four of six to close the regular season with wins littered in the mix against Mississippi State at home and Auburn on the road as lofty 12.5-point underdogs. While the offense has been tough to watch overall, the defense has been known to frustrate many an opponent. At 66-1, A&M’s implied probability of winning the SEC Tournament checks in at around 1.5 percent, while the guys and gals at Teamrankings.com have it even shorter at 1.5 percent. Be that as it may, the Aggies are a confident bunch right now and one you should entertain the thought of throwing some beer money on if nothing else to set up some hedging opportunities down the road if it’s able to score an upset or two.

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