Alabama

College Basketball Betting: Alabama Seeking Back-to-Back SEC Titles

Published

2 years ago

February 14, 2024

College Basketball Betting: Alabama Seeking Back-to-Back SEC Titles

The NCAA Tournament is right around the corner, which means teams across the college basketball landscape have a couple of weeks remaining to win their respective conferences. The SEC is among the conferences that will have an interesting conclusion to the regular season, with the Alabama Crimson Tide and South Carolina Gamecocks both pacing the pack with 9-2 conference records.

Other teams looking to make a late-season push for the conference crown for the regular season are the Tennessee Volunteers, Auburn Tigers, Kentucky Wildcats, and Florida Gators. Ahead of the SEC tournament, let’s take a look at the odds for the SEC conferece regular-season winner on FanDuel Sportsbook.

SEC Basketball Odds

2023-2024 SEC Conference Regular Season Winner
Alabama	+125
Tennessee	+270
Auburn	+280
South Carolina	+650
Kentucky	+5000
Florida	+6000

Alabama (+125)

After securing the SEC regular-season winner crown in the 2022-2023 campaign, Alabama is looking to achieve the same for the 2023-2024 season. The Crimson Tide own a 17-7 record on the season, including an 11-2 record in their last 13 games.

While being ranked at No. 15 in the AP Top 25, Alabama is sitting at No. 6 in KenPom’s ratings. Nate Oats’ squad is getting hot at a perfect time, and Alabama will face conference opponents the rest of the way. Only two of their remaining seven games in the regular season are against ranked teams, too.

Despite not having the best record in the conference right now, the Crimson Tide are a well-rounded team that has four players who are producing 11-plus points per game. The leader of the team is undoubtedly senior guard Mark Sears, who is tallying 20.5 points, 4.3 rebounds, and 4.0 assists per game.

What makes Alabama such a lethal team in the SEC is the fact it leads all of college basketball with 90.3 points per game on the eighth-highest effective field-goal percentage (57.2%) in the nation. The Crimson Tide can score with the best of them, and there’s a decent chance they won’t suffer another loss in the regular season.

Tennessee (+270)

Entering the final stretch, Tennessee has a 17-6 overall record and the fourth-best conference record in the SEC at 7-3. The Volunteers recently defeated Kentucky on the road, and they have won 13 of their last 16 contests.

Tennessee is a team that is predicated on moving the ball around, logging the 23rd-most assists per game (17.0) in college basketball. While the Volunteers have three players averaging at least 11 points per game, senior guard Dalton Knecht paces the team with 20.3 points, 4.8 rebounds, and 1.9 assists per game.

A recent 85-69 road defeat to the Texas A&M Aggies certainly doesn’t help Tennessee’s case of earning the SEC regular-season crown. At the same time, the Vols are No. 8 in the AP Top 25 rankings and No. 7 in the KenPom ratings.

To conclude the regular season, Tennessee is currently slated to face four straight ranked SEC opponents (Auburn, Alabama, South Carolina, and Kentucky). Catching the likes of Alabama, South Carolina, and Auburn is going to be easier said than done given the team’s remaining schedule.

Auburn (+280)

Only Tennessee is ranked above Auburn in the AP Top 25 poll among SEC squads while they have the highest rating (No. 5) in the conference in KenPom’s ratings. The Tigers are registering a 19-5 record and recently took down a talented Alabama team at home by the score of 99-81.

Auburn also paces the conference in assists per game (17.8) and is a deep team with the fourth-most bench points per game (35.62) in the country. The only two players posting more than 10 points per game on the team are forwards Johni Broome (16 PPG) and Jaylin Williams (13 PPG).

One blemish on Auburn’s resume right now is the fact it has lost three of its last six games. In their final seven games of the season, the Tigers are set to take on three different ranked opponents in the SEC (South Carolina, Kentucky, and Tennessee).

Just two years ago, Auburn won the SEC regular-season title with a 28-6 record and a 15-3 conference record. The Tigers have the third-best conference record (8-3) in the SEC right now, so it can’t afford many more losses in the last couple of weeks if they want to surpass the top teams in the SEC.

Looking for more college basketball betting opportunities? Head over to FanDuel Sportsbook to check out all of the upcoming college basketball odds.

The above author is a FanDuel employee and is not eligible to compete in public daily fantasy contests or place sports betting wagers on FanDuel. The advice provided by the author does not necessarily represent the views of FanDuel. Taking the author’s advice will not guarantee a successful outcome. You should use your own judgment when participating in daily fantasy contests or placing sports wagers.

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Alabama

Scavenger hunt on the U.S.S. Alabama teaches kids navigation skills

Published

4 hours ago

July 15, 2026

Press Room

Scavenger hunt on the U.S.S. Alabama teaches kids navigation skills

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Alabama

Tuberville residency challenge appealed to Alabama Supreme Court

Published

16 hours ago

July 14, 2026

Press Room

Tuberville residency challenge appealed to Alabama Supreme Court

MONTGOMERY, Ala. (WSFA) – Plaintiffs have appealed to the Alabama Supreme Court after a circuit judge last week dismissed their lawsuit against Republican gubernatorial candidate Tommy Tuberville.

The suit argues Tuberville does not meet the Alabama Constitution’s eligibility requirements to serve as governor.

In the appeal filing, plaintiff’s attorney Barry Ragsdale said the issue is “whether the circuit court had subject matter jurisdiction to hear Plaintiffs’ claims.”

It is unclear when the Alabama Supreme Court will rule.

Montgomery County Circuit Judge Brooke Reid ruled July 9 that the court did not have jurisdiction to hear the case.

The plaintiffs, two Alabama voters, claim Tuberville’s primary residence is in Florida and argue he does not meet the constitutional requirement that candidates for governor be Alabama residents for at least seven years before the general election.

On June 29, Tuberville’s legal team and the plaintiffs argued the case in Montgomery County Circuit Court.

Tuberville previously cleared a challenge from fellow Republican gubernatorial candidate Ken McFeeters.

The Alabama GOP Candidate Committee unanimously ruled Tuberville is qualified to run for governor, citing documentation including an Alabama driver’s license, voting record and tax returns.

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Alabama

What are the best SEC college football programs? Start with Alabama, Oklahoma

Published

1 day ago

July 14, 2026

Press Room

What are the best SEC college football programs? Start with Alabama, Oklahoma

In certain outposts throughout the South, it’s pronounced “progrum,” not program.

However you say it, the SEC footprint houses some of the most celebrated and iconic college football programs in all the land, complete with rabid fanbases that breathe college football all year. Games are played in towering cathedrals where the crowds partake in what’s almost a religious experience on fall Saturdays.

When evaluating the SEC’s programs, recent results should be considered, but rankings also should reflect historical success, traditions, blue-blood status and fan support.

Here’s how I rank the SEC’s programs, top to bottom:

Alabama football is more than a program, and it’s bigger than an international brand. It’s a way of life. The Script A represents tradition and excellence. Alabama fans are plugged in year-round to their favorite sport, and expectations rarely dip. Coaches who thrive in T-Town are immortalized in bronze. The GOAT conversation runs through Alabama. Is it Nick Saban or Bear Bryant? Either way, it’s an Alabama coach.

2. Oklahoma

The crimson and cream have blue blood. Among SEC schools, Oklahoma trails only Alabama for all-time winning percentage. Double-digit win seasons remain the standard, although the 2000 Sooners remain OU’s last national champion. Oklahoma ruled the 1950s under Bud Wilkinson, then ran back their dominance with Barry Switzer’s wishbone in the 1970s and 80s. Seven Heisman winners point to the program’s star power.

3. Texas

Texas’ deep war chest suits the NIL era, but don’t mistake the Longhorns for the nouveau riche. They’re a traditional power that emerged from an inexcusable, prolonged slumber in between Mack Brown and Steve Sarkisian. Texas enjoyed its heyday in the Southwest Conference under Darrell Royal, but the Longhorns also showed their horns during the Brown era. They belong among the heavy hitters.

The Bulldogs don’t crack the list of blue bloods, but Kirby Smart made them look like one. Georgia has seized a place of persistent power that was long considered possible, because of the school’s location within fertile recruiting terrain. Smart flawlessly implemented Saban’s recruit-and-develop blueprint. We’re witnessing Georgia’s glory days, decades after Herschel Walker and Vince Dooley supplied the previous peak in the early 1980s.

5. LSU

LSU is the only program to have three coaches win a national championship in this millennium. Lane Kiffin could become the fourth. Money poured in to fund his roster. LSU’s standards are such that Brian Kelly got fired after winning 71% of his games. In-state talent gravitates to LSU, but the Tigers also built a national brand, and a night game at Tiger Stadium is a college football mecca.

6. Tennessee

Few states can match Tennessee’s unrelenting vigor for college football. Gen. Robert Neyland put the Vols on the map and got his name on the stadium. Johnny Majors earned a place of adoration. Phillip Fulmer’s Vols flourished in the 1990s. Since Fulmer, Tennessee’s ravenous fans infrequently had a chance to say, “It feels like ’98.” For too long, it felt more like dysfunction, but Tennessee recaptured respectability under Josh Heupel.

Few individuals mean more to a program than what Steve Spurrier means to Florida. He revolutionized the Gators from an also-ran into one of the premier programs of the 1990s. The Head Ball Coach branded The Swamp and gave the Gators an identity. They became SEC championship game regulars. Urban Meyer injected more glory with two titles. Florida lacks the consistency and history of some higher-ranked programs, but its peaks are just as lofty.

These are dark days for Auburn. The Tigers endured five consecutive losing seasons, their bleakest period since the late 1940s. Auburn’s loyal fan base deserves better. Recent woes aside, this accomplished program achieved undefeated seasons under three coaches since the 1990s. From Pat Sullivan to Bo Jackson to Cam Newton, Auburn produced decorated stars. Now, it just needs to pull out of this funk.

Trivia question: When did Texas A&M last win a national championship? Answer: 1939. The Aggies possess the financial resources, fan support and recruiting location to be top shelf, but greatness stubbornly eludes them. R.C. Slocum’s Aggies ruled the Southwest Conference in the early 1990s. Is it time for a fresh set of glory days? Mike Elko’s early returns suggest it’s safe for the Aggies to dream of ascending to their potential.

10. Mississippi

Those old enough to witness Johnny Vaught remember Ole Miss as a powerhouse. Those who watched Archie Manning remember the Rebels with a superstar. Then, Kiffin and Trinidad Chambliss made it so everyone can remember Ole Miss as a playoff team with a premier quarterback. Kiffin treated the Rebels like they were small by leaving for LSU, but not before spawning an uprising that showed the school’s potential in the NIL era.

Arkansas piled up Southwest Conference hardware under Frank Broyles, along with an undefeated season. The conference crowns ceased after Arkansas left in 1991 for the SEC, where there’s been more famine than feast for the Hogs. Even in the SEC, the Razorbacks enjoyed a few highlight seasons, but those uprisings are fading into the rearview mirror. The Hogs need another Darren McFadden.

The Tigers tout seven seasons of double-digit-wins in the past 20 years. They transitioned to the SEC better than many expected. Gary Pinkel became the best thing to happen to Mizzou since Dan Devine. Eliah Drinkwitz has been a gift, too. Anyone who’s a millennial or older can remember the program’s highlight moments, even if they never resulted in a Big 12 or SEC title.

13. Mississippi State

Dan Mullen and Mike Leach did it well for Mississippi State, but Starkville remains one of the toughest SEC outposts to win big or to sustain success. Jackie Sherrill’s 74 wins are the most for any Mississippi State coach. He needed 13 seasons to reach that number. You can’t take the cowbells away from Mississippi State, nor its 15-12 record in bowl games.

14. South Carolina

Spurrier’s successful 11-year run at South Carolina ranks among the best program-building feats in modern history. He won 11 games three seasons in a row, and his teams finished ranked in the top 10 each year. The Gamecocks never won 11 games before Spurrier, and they’ve never hit double digits since he left. Aside from Spurrier’s tenure, the peaks are few and far between.

A program that employed Bear Bryant (and finished 11-1 under the Bear in 1950) can’t rank last on this list, so here we arrive at Kentucky. What can we say about the Wildcats? Well, they own a winning record against Vanderbilt, and they occasionally aren’t as bad as you’d expect a basketball school to be. Mark Stoops got them to a respectable level, but was unable to keep things afloat.

16. Vanderbilt

Vanderbilt’s 10 wins last year register as its single-season record, so you could say the program’s never looked better. The less said, the better, about much of Vanderbilt’s history — unless you want to discuss the 1904 season. That year, Vanderbilt went 9-0 and outscored its competition 474-4. Glory days.

Blake Toppmeyer is the USA TODAY Network’s senior national college football columnist. Email him at BToppmeyer@gannett.com and follow him on X @btoppmeyer.

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