SEC APOCALYPSE: Vegas Fallout

Published|Updated

Saturday's upset in Tuscaloosa sent shockwaves through the SEC.  Fallout in the betting world ran deep as well, forcing drastic changes in the college football futures market. What exactly did Alabama's loss mean to the odds to win the BCS? The single result left a few Kansas St backers holding tickets at 100-1 and Notre Dame bettors at 40-1 brimming with new found confidence.

Investing in futures appeals to casual fans as much as the seasoned gambler seeking value. What better way to get behind your team early in the year than with a $10 bet promising a $10,000 payout if you were an optimistic Aggie fan.  College football, much like the NBA, normally lends itself to favorites however there is the occasional 3 figure exception. Two years ago when the SEC was duped into believing Gene Chizik was a suitable college coach, hopeful bettors snaked Auburn at prices as high as 150-1 in the spring and rode the Cam Newton magical mystery tour to a healthy payday.

Coming into this season, very few of us anticipated Kansas St playing a role in the national title chase so their opening price of 100-1 reflected those sentiments. Unfortunately for Notre Dame backers, their public profile suppresses future odds annually and 40-1 was a far cry from a price befitting a team projected to win 8 games before the year.  Although they'll need things to break perfectly if they're to get a shot and play for the national title, I'm willing to bet a few hopeful Texas A&M enthusiasts who pounced on the Aggies at 9999-1 (after the team's loss to LSU) are still hoping there's more Manziel magic left in the tank.

All futures prices courtesy of the LVH Superbook

 

Under the current format where losing early seems to be the norm rather than the exception, it always pays to keep your eye out for value. This wil be one of the last seasons under the current bowl format so the wild swings bettors have grown accustomed to with college football futures will soon become a betting trend of the past.

Tags
Written by
Clay Travis is the founder of the fastest growing national multimedia platform, OutKick, that produces and distributes engaging content across sports and pop culture to millions of fans across the country. OutKick was created by Travis in 2011 and sold to the Fox Corporation in 2021. One of the most electrifying and outspoken personalities in the industry, Travis hosts OutKick The Show where he provides his unfiltered opinion on the most compelling headlines throughout sports, culture, and politics. He also makes regular appearances on FOX News Media as a contributor providing analysis on a variety of subjects ranging from sports news to the cultural landscape. Throughout the college football season, Travis is on Big Noon Kickoff for Fox Sports breaking down the game and the latest storylines. Additionally, Travis serves as a co-host of The Clay Travis and Buck Sexton Show, a three-hour conservative radio talk program syndicated across Premiere Networks radio stations nationwide. Previously, he launched OutKick The Coverage on Fox Sports Radio that included interviews and listener interactions and was on Fox Sports Bet for four years. Additionally, Travis started an iHeartRadio Original Podcast called Wins & Losses that featured in-depth conversations with the biggest names in sports. Travis is a graduate of George Washington University as well as Vanderbilt Law School. Based in Nashville, he is the author of Dixieland Delight, On Rocky Top, and Republicans Buy Sneakers Too.