A couple of days ago, Las Vegas released the odds of who would win the 2018 SEC Championship:
Odds to win SEC via @LVSuperBook:
Alabama 5/8
Georgia 5/2
Auburn 7/1
Mississippi State 12/1
Florida, LSU 18/1
Missouri 20/1
South Carolina, Texas A&M 30/1
Tennessee 100/1
Arkansas, Kentucky 300/1
Vanderbilt 500/1
Ole Miss n/a— Brett McMurphy (@Brett_McMurphy) July 8, 2018
At this point, Alabama football being preseason favorites for everything is death and taxes. No one should be surprised there, especially when you look at the Tide’s schedule. This team could very well dominate in 2018. The big non-conference season opener this year is against Louisville….without Lamar Jackson, mind you. They get Mississippi State and Auburn at home…so if they can survive road trips to Missouri and LSU, they should be good.
Georgia has a pretty fair schedule, but I wouldn’t be surprised to see them slip up on the road at Missouri or at South Carolina this year. It’s Auburn that I don’t trust to hang around atop the SEC this year.
Gus Malzahn’s team has to go to Mississippi State, to Georgia, and to Alabama this year. Not to mention, they’re opening the season against a game Washington squad.
The bottom line is that it’s dog eat dog in the SEC. I don’t expect 2018 to be a repeat of 2017. So, I definitely wouldn’t bet like it. Besides, where’s the fun in that?
Beyond the top three, the Mississippi State hype is starting to get a little out of control. Look, I love Nick Fitzgerald and I love the Joe Moorhead hiring as much as the next guy. But, if everyone’s in on the same dark horse, you’re not going to win any money.
You want a real dark horse? Try looking over at the SEC East. Believe it or not, I love Missouri at 20/1 odds. Outside of a road trip to Tuscaloosa, they get all of their toughest opponents at home. Their non-conference schedule features Purdue, Wyoming, UT-Martin, and Memphis. This team was as hot as anyone in the country last year at the end of the regular season. If they can avoid another slow start, they could steal the East from Georgia.
Keep in mind, they still have the best quarterback in the country in Drew Lock. They have play-makers, and they have an offensive coordinator in Derek Dooley who can coach that side of the football, folks. They have some first round NFL talent on the defensive side of the ball, too. Just a matter of putting it all together, but if they can, they’ll be a force.
At even deeper odds, I’m also looking at South Carolina for similar reasons to Missouri – good quarterback, rising program, etc. But, as long as that game against Clemson looms on the schedule, I’m a little apprehensive. Outside of that one, none of their road games really scare you.
Jimbo Fisher is recruiting the hell out of it down at Texas A&M, but I think 2018 is too soon to expect them to truly contend for the SEC title. That said, I wouldn’t be surprised at all to see this Aggies team sneak up and snatch an unexpected victory or two.
What do you think, SoBros Nation? Who do you think wins the SEC in 2018?
Stoney Keeley is the Editor in Chief of The SoBros Network. He is a strong supporter of Team GSD and #BeBetter. “Big Natural” covers the Tennessee Titans, Alabama Crimson Tide football, the WWE, and a whole wealth of nonsense. Follow on Twitter @StoneyKeeley
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