There’s a new top dog in college football: the Georgia Bulldogs. Since Nick Saban’s arrival at Alabama, the path — not only to the top of the SEC but to the CFP National Championship — went through Tuscaloosa.
However, after back-to-back national titles for Kirby Smart and the Bulldogs, that path undoubtedly goes through Athens. Despite another mass exodus of talent to the NFL, Georgia is still the betting favorite to not only win the SEC but a third straight national championship.
That doesn’t mean Alabama is out of the picture but will they be able to hold off a rapidly improving LSU in the SEC West? And will things finally click for Jimbo Fisher and Texas A&M?
I break down the college football odds for the sport's best conference and bring you my best bets plus some Heisman hopefuls in my 2023 SEC betting preview.
Odds to win the SEC
| Team |  |
 |
 |
 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
 Georgia Bulldogs |
-115 | -105 | -115 | -110 |
 Alabama Crimson Tide |
+300 | +290 | +240 | +260 |
 LSU Tigers |
+450 | +470 | +450 | +450 |
 Texas A&M Aggies |
+1,400 | +1,300 | +1,200 | +1,400 |
 Tennessee Volunteers |
+1,400 | +1,600 | +1,600 | +1,400 |
 Mississippi Rebels |
+4,500 | +4,500 | +4,000 | +5,000 |
 Auburn Tigers |
+8,000 | +7,500 | +4,000 | +7,000 |
 South Carolina Gamecocks |
+9,000 | +9,500 | +10,000 | +10,000 |
 Kentucky Wildcats |
+10,000 | +12,000 | +12,500 | +12,500 |
 Arkansas Razorbacks |
+10,000 | +9,500 | +10,000 | +10,000 |
 Florida Gators |
+10,000 | +8,500 | +6,000 | +8,000 |
 Mississippi State Bulldogs |
+12,000 | +7,500 | +12,500 | +10,000 |
 Missouri Tigers |
+15,000 | +12,000 | +20,000 | +15,000 |
 Vanderbilt Commodores |
+50,000 | +50,000 | +75,000 | +50,000 |
Best college football bonuses
Looking to bet on some SEC futures? Here are two of the best bonuses* available:
A) New users at FanDuel can bet $5 and get $100 in bonus bets! Sign Up Now
B) New users at DraftKings can bet $5 and get $150 in bonus bets! Sign Up Now
*Eligible USA locations only. Also, check out our full list of best sportsbook promotions for 2023.
21+. Gambling Problem? Call 1-800-GAMBLER
SEC betting preview 2023
Georgia Bulldogs season preview
- Odds to win National Championship: +220 at FanDuel
- Season win total: 11.5 at DraftKings
The Georgia Bulldogs had to deal with a ton of roster turnover following their 2021 national title and the same can be said this year. However, there is one big difference this year — quarterback Stetson Bennett is now gone.
Bennett was a huge part of the Bulldogs’ back-to-back championships but if there's a team that can deal with that kind of loss, it’s Georgia.
Kirby Smart has said Carson Beck has the inside track to the starting spot at quarterback, but whoever is under center, they'll have some support. Starting with an offensive line that returns all three interior offensive linemen and is reloaded at the tackle positions, they could be one of the best units in the nation.
Not only will they be protecting Beck but also creating big holes for yet another deep running back room. Beck will also have some great pass catchers at his disposal including the top tight end in the nation in Brock Bowers.
Then there's the defense. It may sound funny but 2022 was technically a down year for the Bulldogs. There are just blue-chip prospects all over the place in the defensive front, and the secondary is stacked. It may be hard to believe but you can make the case this is Smart’s most talented team to date.
The 2023 Dawgs also get the benefit of a relatively light schedule which should give them time to gel. Georgia avoids Alabama, LSU, and Texas A&M this year, with their toughest game looking like a Nov. 18 date at Tennessee.
The Bulldogs will likely be double-digit favorites in all 12 games this season and you can pencil them in for one of those four College Football Playoff spots.
Alabama Crimson Tide season preview
- Odds to win National Championship: +600 at DraftKings
- Season win total: 10.5 at DraftKings
How good has this program been? They went 11-2 with the two losses coming on the road to ranked opponents by a combined four points and crushed the Big 12 champions Kansas State in the Sugar Bowl, and it classifies as a disappointment.
With that said, it will be an interesting year for Nick Saban and the Alabama Crimson Tide. They will have to replace arguably the best offensive and defensive players in college football as Bryce Young and Will Anderson went No. 1 and No. 3, respectively, in this past April’s NFL Draft.
With the likes of Young and Tua Tagovailoa under center for the last several years, Alabama has become one of the most prolific passing programs in the nation, but with those guys off to the NFL, there's a three-way quarterback competition in Tuscaloosa.
Jalen Milroe has the most experience and earned a win over Texas A&M last year, but is a run-first QB and has some limitations. Ty Simpson is a 5-star recruit entering his sophomore season and saw very limited action last year. And then Notre Dame transfer Tyler Buchner entered the fray.
Buchner started three games for the Irish last season, completing 55.4% of his passes for 651 yards with three touchdowns and five picks. He follows offensive coordinator Tommy Rees who took the same job at Alabama.
This is still a talented team, but the competition in the SEC West is arguably as tough as it has been since Saban took over at Tuscaloosa. With a schedule that includes home dates vs. Texas, Tennessee, and LSU and trips to Texas A&M and Auburn, getting to 11 regular season wins could be tough in 2023.
LSU Tigers season preview
- Odds to win National Championship: +1,200 at FanDuel
- Season win total: 9.5 at BetMGM
Brian Kelly’s tenure in Baton Rouge couldn’t have gotten off to a better start. Leading LSU to an SEC West title which included a win over Alabama in Year 1 is probably more than Kelly could have asked for. And in 2023, he and the Bayou Bengals have their eyes on the College Football Playoff.
LSU got a huge boost when quarterback Jaylen Daniels decided to return for one final year. Daniels did it all for the Tigers last year, totaling over 3,800 yards, 29 touchdowns, and just three picks in his first season in Baton Rouge.
Now, Daniels is not only arguably the best quarterback returning in the SEC but one of the betting favorites to win the Heisman Trophy.
And it’s not just the return of Daniels that's giving LSU fans optimism, as this is a team loaded with returning talent. The offensive line returns all five starters. Thousand-yard receiver Malik Nabers is back, and Bama transfer Aaron Anderson could be in for a big year.
On the other side of the ball, Harold Perkins Jr. might be the best defensive player in the nation. Meanwhile, Maason Smith and Mekhi Wingo may be the most terrifying combo at defensive tackle in the country.
LSU was susceptible to the deep ball at times last season, so they’ll need their combination of transfers and returning guys to gel, but if they do, watch out.
The schedule isn’t easy but the ability is there for the Bayou Bengals to have a great season. We could be shouting “How bout them Tigers!” before we know it.
The rest of the field
Texas A&M enters 2023 with a win total of 8. There was a point last season when people were asking whether it would be worth it for Texas A&M to buy out Jimbo Fisher from his contract. The answer is it would be hella expensive (something like $80 million).
But it was a fair question. Despite some fantastic recruiting classes, the Aggies are coming off a shocking 5-7 season and Fisher has an overall winning percentage worse than the Kevin Sumlin era.
So, Fisher is swinging for the fences. He hired Bobby Petrino to run the offense (what could possibly go wrong?) and there is a ton of talent on the roster. The Aggies need to get better in the trenches on both sides of the ball but there could be rapid improvement if everything clicks.
Tennessee enters 2023 with a win total of 9.5 following an impressive 11-2 season culminating in an Orange Bowl victory over Clemson. The question is whether Josh Heupel can create the same magic with Joe Milton III as he did with Hendon Hooker.
He’ll also have to replace Hooker’s top two receivers Jalin Hyatt and Cedric Tillman, and his starting tackle Darnell Wright. The Volunteers will also need to improve a pass defense that ranked 127th in the country.
Lane Kiffin is still the transfer portal king at Mississippi where the win total is 7.5. South Carolina’s win total is 6.5 but is hoping everything will fall into place for Spencer Rattler. Lastly, Hugh Freeze will look to exceed expectations and Auburn’s 6.5 win total in his return to the SEC.
Pick to win the SEC: LSU Tigers (+470)
Speaking of value on LSU futures, the Tigers at +470 are my pick to win the SEC in 2023. I was very close to taking Georgia here considering their path to the SEC title game features very little resistance once again, but the chalk play had me looking elsewhere and right at the Bayou Bengals.
For my money, Jayden Daniels is the best quarterback in the SEC. That’s a very good starting point, and at the very least, he's the quarterback with the fewest question marks heading into the season.
He’s smart and rarely makes mistakes with the football, which is needed in these big SEC matchups. And whatever your opinion of Brian Kelly is, he’s a great college football coach.
The schedule isn’t an easy one, and a Nov. 4 date with Alabama in Tuscaloosa looms large, but if the Tigers' defense — particularly the secondary — steps up this season, LSU will be a problem for any team in the nation and have an excellent shot to defend their SEC West crown.
SEC best win total bets for 2023
Kentucky Over 6.5 wins
I was very notably not on the Will Levis hype train last season. While Levis had to play behind one of the worst offensive lines in the country, I thought he very clearly underperformed for most of the season, even when he did have time to throw.
Levis is now off to the NFL and luckily for us, it feels like oddsmakers have over-adjusted to that.
Out goes Levis and in comes former NC State quarterback Devin Leary, who threw for over 6,800 yards with the Wolfpack. Also returning is offensive coordinator Liam Coen after a brief stint in the NFL.
Coen and head coach Mark Stoops immediately went out to improve the offensive line, bringing in transfers and moving guys around. Leary will also have a skilled group of pass catchers to throw to.
And as long as Stoops is the head coach at Kentucky, the defense should be one of the more solid units in the conference.
The Wildcats’ schedule also lines up well. They should be 4-0 heading into their rivalry matchup vs. Florida, a game they will likely be favored in.
Then matchups vs. Missouri, at Mississippi State, at South Carolina, and at Louisville are all winnable. Plus, Kentucky always performs better in the underdog role.
Best odds: -155 at DraftKings
Missouri Under 6.5 wins
Sorry, Mizzou. It’s just hard to find six wins on this year’s schedule let alone seven. It's Eli Drinkwitz’s fourth year at the helm and if nothing else, he is consistent.
Drinkwitz has gone 5-5, 6-6, and 6-6 in the regular season in his first three years at Missouri and he has the potential to make it four years in a row with a different starting quarterback. Incumbent Brady Cook is still around but Drinkwitz signed former Miami QB Jake Garcia in the transfer portal.
Whoever's under center will have to do it without top wideout Dominic Lovett, who transferred to Georgia, and behind what was a really bad offensive line a year ago.
Mizzou should open with two wins but then Big 12 champs Kansas State comes to town before a neutral site game vs. Memphis and an increasingly tougher matchup at Vandy.
Then things get rough. Here is Missou’s schedule down the stretch from October on: LSU, at Kentucky, South Carolina, at Georgia, Tennessee, Florida, at Arkansas. I count two toss-ups there and that’s it.
The defense should be solid, but with the state of the offense, I'm not sure that will be enough against a daunting schedule.
Best odds: -133 at BetMGM
Best Heisman Trophy bets for the SEC
Jayden Daniels, QB, LSU
I spoke to this a little bit earlier, but obviously, I'm high on LSU this year and Daniels is the biggest reason why. He had a big year for the Tigers last year, but he could be in for an even bigger one in 2023.
Daniels is coming off a season where he completed 65.8% of his passes for 2,913 yards and 17 touchdowns with just three picks. He also added 885 yards and 11 scores on the ground. And that was in his first year in a new system with what was a makeshift offensive line at times.
Now, the offensive line is a veteran unit and he has three of his top four pass catchers back plus some elite transfers to contribute as well.
I'm not saying we're going to see a Joe Burrow-type season from Daniels, but he is a do-it-all quarterback on a very talented offense, which will have a chance to compete for a College Football Playoff spot. That ticks a lot of the Heisman Trophy boxes.
Jase McClellan, RB, Alabama
If you are looking for a real long shot to win the Heisman Trophy, why not Jase McClellan at +8,000? Now, this has generally become a quarterback award over the last decade or so, but when a quarterback doesn’t take home the award, who wins it? Alabama skill position players... that’s who.
Here are the last three non-QBs to win the Heisman Trophy: Alabama wide receiver DeVonta Smith in 2020, Alabama running back Derrick Henry in 2015, and Alabama running back Mark Ingram in 2012.
McClellan is a senior who’s had to sit behind some big names during his time in Tuscaloosa but 2023 should be his time to shine. Last year, he rushed for 655 yards at 5.8 yards per carry and seven touchdowns as Jamhyr Gibbs’ primary backup.
He also showed some of that Gibbs skill catching the ball out of the backfield by grabbing 14 passes for 174 yards and another three scores.
To win the coveted award, he’ll need at least 2,000 total yards and 20+ touchdowns, but with Bama set to return to the run game in 2023 with another strong offensive line in tow, he’ll get plenty of opportunities to do just that on a team looking to return to the CFP.
SEC stat to know
At least one SEC team has played in the CFP National Championship Game in each of the last eight seasons, with Alabama and Georgia squaring off for the national title twice in that span.
