The Georgia Bulldogs are the defending national champions and will now have a hungry Alabama Crimson Tide team, along with several other top-tier SEC programs, gunning for them. Find out how we think things will shake out in our SEC conference betting preview.
Not only are the Bulldogs and Crimson Tide considered to be two of the better teams in college football this season, but Jimbo Fisher and the Texas A&M Aggies also have championships on their minds. All in all, this should be one of the most exciting conferences in the nation to follow – as is always the case. And perhaps this is a good place to use your $20 free + risk-free bet of up to $1,000 as a new customer of BetMGM Sportsbook.
2022 SEC Preview and Best Bets
Best odds: -140 at BetMGM
Alabama returns Heisman Trophy hopefuls on both sides of the ball, as QB Bryce Young, who won the award last year, is back to lead the offense and Will “The Terminator” Anderson is back to terrorize opposing quarterbacks. Nick Saban's team gets a total of 12 starters back from last year's squad, which is the most the Crimson Tide have returned since 2013. Last year's team was sixth in the nation in scoring offense and 18th in scoring defense, so there's insane potential here. Alabama will also have a chip on its shoulder after having finally given way to Georgia in the national championship. A return to the College Football Playoff is extremely likely here. The DimersBOT actually gives the Tide a 31.9% chance of winning it all – and a 54.9% shot at winning the SEC.
Nick Saban explains what makes Will Anderson and Bryce Young great leaders
Watch full Wednesday press conference here: https://t.co/h10Cpixf21 pic.twitter.com/qYUKbmGdAh
– Alabama Crimson Tide | BamaInsider.com ?? (@bamainsider) August 10, 2022
Best odds: +150 at BetMGM
Georgia is a really safe bet to win the SEC East this year, as the team returns a decent amount of talent and we just haven't seen anybody emerge as a true contender in that division yet. Perhaps Tennessee or Florida will be able to do that somewhat soon, but the Bulldogs likely won't worry about either program until they're given a scare from them. It is, however, worth noting that this year's team is a bit worse than last year's, on paper. Does that mean the Bulldogs can't win another national championship? Of course not. But Kirby Smart's group won't look as dominant as it did in 2021. The Bulldogs gave up only 10.2 points per game last year, but only three starters remain on that side of the ball.
Best odds: +1600 at BetMGM
Whether it's Haynes King or Max Johnson under center for the Aggies, the team should get better quarterback play than it did with Zach Calzada in 2021. Texas A&M also happens to have one of the most talented rosters in football, top to bottom. It might take another year before Jimbo Fisher's team is truly a championship contender, but that time is coming soon and it wouldn't be that surprising if the breakthrough happened this season. The Aggies bring back most of their key pieces from a defense that allowed only 15.9 points per game last year, and the offense is the only real question mark here. The showdown between the Aggies and Crimson Tide in Tuscaloosa should be electric.
Best odds: +4000 at BetMGM
Tennessee is getting 15 starters back from a team that won seven games in head coach Josh Heupel's first year with the program. One of those starters is quarterback Hendon Hooker, who is dynamic as a runner but can also spin it when he needs to. He and wide receiver Cedric Tillman make up one of the best duos in the conference, and they should excel in Heupel's up-tempo offense again this year. The question is whether or not Tennessee's defense can take a step forward, but having seven returning starters on that side of the ball helps. The Volunteers just need to get a few more stops each game in order to become an eight or nine win team.
Best odds: +5000 at BetMGM