SEC football best bets and hot takes, bullish on Georgia, Alabama

ATHENS — Somewhere in the summer the College Football Playoffs will be won via offseason workouts, planning and roster acquisition and attrition.

In the meantime, the oddsmakers in Las Vegas are preparing to set up some bets on the over/under number of games teams will win.

Much can change between now and noon on Aug. 31, when Georgia and Clemson kick off the SEC season in Atlanta.

For now, here’s a way-too-early quick take on these way-too-early odds on SEC win totals:

Georgia 10.5 (Over)

Alabama might bite the Bulldogs in Tuscaloosa, an Texas might trip Kirby in Austin, but it seems unlikely both teams beat Carson Beck or that the Heisman co-favorite gets upset by another team on the schedule.

Texas 10.5 (Under)

Steve Sarkisian has a high-powered offense and a slick presentation, but the week-to-week physicality in the SEC will keep the Longhorns under.

Alabama 9.5 (Over)

Kalen DeBoer comes off as a positive feel-good coach with a creative offensive mind, and with Jalen Milroe on the upswing that’s enough to be optimistic.

Ole Miss 9.5 (Over)

Lane Kiffin has put together a transfer class like no other and has a friendly schedule that features just one losable road game (at LSU).

LSU 9.5 (Under)

Brian Kelly is a hall of fame coach with tremendous resources, but the Bayou Bengals have lost just enough firepower, including Jayden Daniels, to hit the 10-win mark even with a favorable schedule.

Missouri 9.5 (Under)

Eli Drinkwitz and the Tigers are still celebrating their bowl win over Ohio State, but this program has yet to prove it can handle success, even with one of the easier schedules in the league.

Every SEC teams football schedule in 2024

Tennessee 9 (Under)

Josh Heupel runs a high-powered offense and Nico Lamaleava has the look of a legit dual-threat, but Alabama and Georgia look like losses and it seems likely the Vols will drop another one.

Texas A&M 8.5 (Under)

Mike Elko has proven an effective head coach, but there are too many moving parts to believe the Aggies will win more than eight games.

Oklahoma 7.5 (Over)

Call it a hunch, but the bet here is Brent Venables will have a strong third season as head coach and get the Sooners booming enough to win eight games in the regular season.

Auburn 7.5 (Over)

There’s not a tougher team to peg than Auburn, and that’s a compliment to Hugh Freeze who was a play or two away from beating Alabama and Georgia. The Tigers figure to improve.

Kentucky 6.5 (Over)

The bet here is on Brock Vandagriff and Jamon Dumas-Johnson, two of Georgia’s better leaders that took their games to Lexington under the direction of underrated coach Mark Stoops.

South Carolina 5.5 (Under)

Everyone likes Shane Beamer, but the feel-good has worn-off and the Gamecocks seem to be lacking in firepower.

Arkansas 4.5 (Over)

Sam Pittman has added Bobby Petrino, and unlike Jimbo Fisher, he’ll have the wisdom to allow Petrino to work his magic. What the Hogs lack in talent, they’ll make up for in chemistry and coaching.

Mississippi State 4.5 (Under)

New head coach (checks notes) JEFF LEBBY seems like an uninspiring hire with very little to work with. The Maroon Bulldogs face an uphill climb.

Florida 4.5 (Over)

The Gators are going to be better than people think, to the extent that a fast start to the season should be enough to propel the team into bowl eligibility even with a loaded back half.

Vanderbilt 2.5 (Over)

Wins over Alcorn State, Georgia State and Ball State will be enough to win the bet for anyone who feels the need to bet money on Vanderbilt football.