SEC Betting Roundup: SEC/Big 12 Challenge Saturday

The SEC betting roundup offers a few interesting conference games on Wednesday. But many people will already be looking forward to Saturday. The 10th annual SEC/Big 12 Challenge takes place and about half of the top 15 games of the day on Saturday will be these contests.

Wednesday, Jan. 25

The SEC betting roundup begins with the Georgia Bulldogs (13-6) visiting Tennessee, where the Volunteers are favored by 16.5. The total is 135. The NCAAB matchups odds give a huge edge to the Volunteers on defense, where Tennessee is No. 1 in the nation in adjusted defensive efficiency. The Bulldogs aren’t a great scoring team to begin with, so they could be hard-pressed for points. Tennessee is solid on offense, although it’s not a great shooting team. For those who enjoy betting on college basketball, the under looks like the right side here.

Texas A&M (13-6) visits Auburn (16-3) in a decent game, where the Tigers are favored by 6 with a total of 135.5. The Aggies get a slight edge on offense, while the Tigers get a good-sized advantage in defense. Auburn is No. 2 in the nation in 3-point field goal defense, but the Aggies are bad from 3-point range. Texas A&M scores a little more than half its points from 2-point range. There could be plenty of second chances in this one, as both are strong on the offensive boards. The Aggies are capable to playing with Auburn and look to be the right side in this one.

Mississippi State (12-7) visits Alabama (17-2) in a game the Tide are favored by 12.5 with a total of 139.5. There’s no question the Bulldogs can play tough defense. The question with Mississippi State is the offense. The Bulldogs are an average offensive team, which isn’t good enough in the SEC. Mississippi State is one of the worst shooting teams in college basketball. But the Bulldogs do pound the offensive glass and get a number of extra shots, which they need. Alabama is better offensively and slightly better on defense. The total looks a bit high in this one.

Saturday, Jan. 28

The SEC betting roundup begins with an early Saturday game, although it’s a good one between Auburn and West Virginia. Expect West Virginia to be the slightest of favorites and a total near 140. The Tigers are coming off a big conference game against Texas A&M, while West Virginia is in the middle of a brutal stretch that has seen the team go 1-6 heading into Wednesday’s game with Texas Tech. West Virginia can force turnovers, where Auburn sometimes has trouble coughing the ball up. The Mountaineers should have more success on the inside against Auburn than they do from the perimeter and could be worth a good look in this spot.

Alabama is going to be favored by close to 5 points on the road over Oklahoma, as the Tide is simply a better team at both ends. But going into the Noble Center and knocking off Oklahoma is easier on paper than it is in real life. Oklahoma’s biggest stumbling block offensively this year has been turnovers. As good as Alabama is on defense the Tide doesn’t create many turnovers, which should work to the Sooners’ advantage. The Sooners shoot the ball better than the Tide, although they really haven’t seen a defense in the same class as Alabama yet this season. The Tide are No. 4 in 3-point field goal percentage and Alabama is No. 2 in defending the 2-pointer. The Sooners will need to play tough 3-point defense and take care of the ball. If they do, this one will be closer than expected.

Iowa State will be slim favorites here with a total near 144 in this one, which pits strength vs. strength. Missouri is No. 6 in the country in adjusted offensive efficiency. Iowa State is No. 7 in adjusted defensive efficiency. The Cyclones are a good offensive team, while the same can’t be said for Missouri’s defense. The Cyclones lead the nation in forcing turnovers but the Tigers are one of the best teams in the country at protecting the ball. If Missouri can limit its turnovers this is a game than can go either way. Missouri should be able to score from 2-point range, which is Iowa State’s weakest link on defense. Don’t be surprised to see an upset in this one with the Tigers stealing the home victory.
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