SEC Week 9 Betting Lines Released, A Big One In Jacksonville
The SEC is coming off a pretty rough weekend with a mediocre slate of games. The closest game we witnessed was in Tuscaloosa, where Alabama ended up running away with it in the fourth quarter. On the docket this weekend, we have only four conference games with Georgia vs. Florida and Auburn vs. Ole Miss leading the way.
Make sure to get your bets in this week, using FanDuel for the best promos and betting lines.
Missouri (-16.5) @ Vanderbilt
There isn't much to say with this game. Vanderbilt is coming off a really bad loss to Mississippi State, while Missouri had a week off. I would imagine Connor Bazelak and the Tigers pass the football around since the Dores had little success against the Bulldogs through the air. Mike Leach threw the ball over 55 times against the Dores. I also expect Eli Drinkwitz to run the ball with Tyler Badie, which will setup all the passing yards they can muster. This game shouldn't be close, but I don't trust the Missouri defense to actually show up this season. Be careful with this one.
Kentucky (-.5) @ Mississippi State
This is pretty much a pick'em, as the betting experts don't have much faith in Kentucky right now. Mississippi State is coming off a lopsided win over Vanderbilt, while the Wildcats had the week off. This game will come down to whether the Kentucky defense can put enough pressure on Will Rogers in the pocket to stop him through the air. Meanwhile, the Wildcats will need Chris Rodriguez to establish the running game, and QB Will Levis will be needed to get outside the pocket against this State defense.
This will be a big test for Kentucky, who go on the road and look to keep their No. 12 ranking. This line is interesting, especially since Kentucky is highly ranked and Mississippi State is 4-3 on the season. Just go with your gut, as this line should hover around the starting point.
Ole Miss (+.5) @ Auburn
I'll be honest, I think the betting experts are giving Auburn way too much credit for the win at Arkansas. Ole Miss destroyed LSU, Matt Corral continued his Heisman campaign, and Lane Kiffin had another successful Saturday calling plays. Yes, Auburn has the ability to beat teams outside the pocket, and maybe that's what the experts are thinking.
But just because this game is at Auburn doesn't mean the Tigers are world beaters now. Their offense must first show some consistency before I pick them to beat a team like Ole Miss. Sure, the Rebel defense has looked shady in the past, but I still think their offense is good enough for a 3-point favorite on the road. Either way, this should be a fun matchup between Bo Nix and Matt Corral on Saturday night. Bet at your own will on this one.
Georgia (-15.5) @ Florida (In Jacksonville)
The world's largest cocktail party is here again, as Georgia and Florida will face off in Jacksonville this weekend. The Dawgs have continued to impress, taking care of Arkansas, Auburn and Kentucky in the past four weeks.
Georgia is coming off a bye week, as is Florida. So, both teams should be well rested for this one. My concern is the Florida quarterback situation. Dan Mullen has been flip-flopping on how he will play the Dawgs at that position. Do the Gators start Anthony Richardson, who looked good in the second half against LSU, or do they go with Emory Jones? I will be paying close attention to the answer this week, but we know Dan Mullen won't give anything away before kickoff.
Meanwhile, the Georgia defense is ferocious and the offense continues to put up over 30 points behind the play of Stetson Bennett and the rushing attack. We will see whether JT Daniels is healthy enough to play this weekend, but I'd stick with the hot hand, which is Bennett. There's no need to shake things up since things are going well. Have fun betting this game, because Florida could look like two different teams, depending on who the QB is.