Year in and year out, the SEC is the best conference in college football, and that will not change this year. Below, we will take a look at each team in the SEC and give an outlook on their upcoming win total. We still have time before the season starts, but it is never too early to take a look at SEC football. Let’s dive in.
SEC Betting Preview: One Bet for Every SEC Team
Florida
2022 Record: 6-7 2023 Win Total: 5.5 SEC Odds: +8500
Impact Players: Graham Mertz QB, Trevor Etienne RB
Expectations are never down in Gainesville, but this season seems a bit bleak after losing four starters on the offensive line and quarterback Anthony Richardson to the Indianapolis Colts. In comes Graham Mertz from Wisconsin—a high recruit who never panned out for the Badgers. In a Billy Napier offense, Mertz doesn’t exactly scream perfect fit. There are a lot of questions to be asked about this Gators team, but you can never count them out.
The Pick: o5.5 Wins
Georgia
2022 Record: 15-0 2023 Win Total: 11.5 SEC Odds: +100
Impact Players: Brock Bowers TE, Malaki Starks S
Re-up, reload. The Georgia Bulldogs are set on another National Championship after losing some studs on the defensive side and quarterback Stetson Bennett.
It seems to be a battle between Beck and Vandagriff, who each have a few snaps under their belt. The receiving core of Thomas, Lovett, and Bowers will be among the best in the country, but there will surely be holes that need to be filled. That said, I would not be surprised if the Bulldogs drop a game early and write the ship heading into the postseason.
The Pick: u11.5 Wins
Kentucky
2022 Record: 7-6 2023 Win Total: 6.5 SEC Odds: +12000
Impact Players: Devin Leary QB, Ray Davis RB
Going from Will Levis to Devin Leary is extremely interesting. Kentucky had some of its highest hopes last year with a loaded defense and future NFL quarterback. Sadly for them, Levis dealt with an injury all season long, and it did not look like he ever really had it going 100%. Leary is coming off an injury that sidelined him at NC State, so we will have to see how he bounces back. The defense will hold its own. It comes down to QB play for the Cats.
The Pick: o6.5 Wins
Missouri
2022 Record: 6-7 2023 Win Total: 6.5 SEC Odds: +12000
Impact Players: Luther Burden WR
Missouri brings on Kirby Moore, the offensive coordinator from Fresno State, who had plenty of success with the air raid style. Will that work in the SEC with the best and most athletic defenses in the country? Probably not. They also have plenty of quarterback issues, bringing in Jake Garcia, who has not proven anything at Miami. Brady Cook is coming off of surgery. Truthfully, I do not see the path to success for Missouri in the SEC this year.
The Pick: u6.5 Wins
South Carolina
2022 Record: 8-5 2023 Win Total: 6.5 SEC Odds: +9500
Impact Players: Spencer Rattler QB, Nyckoles Harbor WR/TE
Beamer Ball is in the right direction! Riding the momentum of taking down Texas A&M, Tennessee, and Clemson should be massive heading into the season. Former top recruit and Heisman candidate Spencer Rattler returns for the Gamecocks with lofty expectations. Rattler has the game to post head turning stat-lines and back that up with brutal performances. If the QB plays smart and consistently, this USC team has the making to be towards the top of the SEC East.
The Pick: o6.5 Wins
Tennessee
2022 Record: 11-2 2023 Win Total: 9.5 SEC Odds: +1700
Impact Players: Joe Milton QB, Bru McCoy WR
Yet again, The Vols boast very high expectations heading into this season. What Josh Heupel has done with this program is extremely impressive. Coming into a fan base and program with as much history as Tennessee is not an easy thing.
Heupel dealt the cards right dealing with the Joe Milton- Hendon Hooker quarterback situation and will have another one on his hands this year. In comes extremely highly touted prospect Nico Iamaleava who will look to take the job from Joe Milton. The vibes are high, and the talent is there. Look for The Vols to have another solid season.
The Pick: o9.5 Wins
Vanderbilt
2022 Record: 5-7 2023 Win Total: 3.5 SEC Odds: +50000
Impact Players: Martel Hight CB, AJ Swann WR
Year after year, Vandy sits at the bottom of the SEC and the Power-Five as a whole. It is saddening that they cannot compete with the conference by any means. There are a few reasons for this, and you can boil it down to scholarship allotment, but that is a whole different story.
What will we get from the Commodores for this upcoming season? More than likely more of the same. Vanderbilt has a solid recruiting class coming in, but it will not be nearly enough to compete with in this difficult Southeastern Conference.
The Pick: o3.5 Wins
Alabama
2022 Record: 11-2 2023 Win Total: 10.5 SEC Odds: +270
Impact Players: Dallas Turner LB, Kool-Aid McKinstry CB
The pendulum has swung a few hours down I-20 to Athens, Georgia, and Alabama is no longer the pinnacle of the SEC. With that being said, Nick Saban and his Crimson Tide have their eyes set on getting back to the College Football Playoff. Bryce Young is out, and Tommy Rees is in.
Yes, the former Notre Dame standout takes over as offensive coordinator under Saban. Alabama will have their selection from a five-star crop take over Young’s role behind center and Will Anderson on the defensive edge. No one reloads and rebuild’s better than the Tide, and I expect nothing less than excellence.
The Pick: o11.5 Wins
Arkansas
2022 Record: 7-6 2023 Win Total: 7.5 SEC Odds: +9500
Impact Players: KJ Jefferson QB, Rocket Sanders RB
KJ Jefferson is back for another season as Razorbacks quarterback and has the talent to be one of the best in the conference. They struggled defensively last season and are bringing in a bunch of new names and schematics to switch that course this season. With Rocket Sanders returning as well, the offense should be in fine shape. It will be interesting to see the defensive strides they will make, as it will be a must if they want to succeed in this loaded conference.
The Pick: o7.5 Wins
Auburn
2022 Record: 5-7 2023 Win Total: 6.5 SEC Odds: +7500
Impact Players: Robby Ashford QB, Brian Battie RB
High Feeze, welcome home. After some allegations and crazy times at Liberty, Freeze returns as Auburn’s HC looking to turn the program around. Robby Ashford had a very underrated season and flashed signs of success as Auburn QB last season. Ashford was young and must deal with a new OC this season. Auburn does not look like the elite Auburn squads of the last few years on both sides of the ball. I will be taking a backseat to Auburn in most markets this year.
The Pick: u6.5 Wins
LSU
2022 Record: 10-4 2023 Win Total: 9.5 SEC Odds: +500
Impact Players: Jayden Daniels QB, Harold Perkins LB
Expectations are never down in Baton Rouge and especially a Brian Kelly-led team. Jayden Daniels returns at quarterback after an exceptional season. I would not mind looking into him for a Heisman future. More importantly, all five starters return on the offensive line, which will be huge to deal with nose-nasty SEC defensive fronts. They bring on a load of transfers to boost the secondary. I think LSU has what it takes to win the SEC.
The Pick: o9.5 Wins
Mississippi State
2022 Record: 9-4 2023 Win Total: 6.5 SEC Odds: +7500
Impact Players: Will Rogers QB, Woody Marks RB
It will be an emotional season for the Bulldogs off the heels of losing Mike Leach. There will not be too many new faces in the building as defensive coordinator Zach Arnett takes over as HC. We will see Will Rogers return as the quarterback among the similar faces.
He has been awesome in his time in the SEC and owned the school record in passing yards and touchdowns. It will be interesting to see how the offense looks, as Leach’s “air raid” will not be the same. Why fix something that is not broken but to each their own? Mississippi State is an offense-driven team, so seeing how the new-look offense works this season will be interesting.
The Pick: u6.5 Wins
Ole Miss
2022 Record: 8-5 2023 Win Total: 7.5 SEC Odds: +4500
Impact Players: Spencer Sanders QB, Tre Harris WR
Lane Kiffin’s favorite thing to do is play with extremely talented quarterbacks. This year, he brings on Spencer Sanders, who played four seasons at Oklahoma State. Sanders has been one of my favorite players over the last few seasons in the Big 12, and I am excited to see what he can do under QB Guru Lane Kiffin.
The defense has been an afterthought for Ole Miss over the last few seasons, but they brought on a few transfers and Pete Golding as defensive coordinator, who spent the last few seasons at Alabama. Making a one-year shift defensively in this conference is not an easy task by any means.
The Pick: u7.5 Wins
Texas A&M
2022 Record: 5-7 2023 Win Total: 7.5 SEC Odds: +1200
Impact Players: Connor Weigman QB, Evan Stewart WR
What an extremely disappointing season it was for the Aggies last year. A top recruiting class, a preseason top 10, and sites set on winning the SEC. All those hopes only to win five games were not what Aggie fans expected. The biggest move A&M made was bringing on Bobby Petrino to call plays, as this was one of the biggest issues last season. Besides Fisher being on the hot seat and Bobby Petrino coming in to call plays, not much else to will be changing in College Station, and I am not sure that is enough to take it to the next step.
The Pick: u7.5 Wins
