2024 NCAAF Cheat Sheet: Auburn Tigers Stats & Odds
2024 Auburn Tigers Stats Could See More Production from QB Peyton Thorne
Year 2 Under Hugh Freeze Could See Auburn Return to Winning Ways
It was a season of streaks for the Auburn Tigers as a pair of three-game winning streaks were sandwiched around a four-game losing streak to make the Tigers bowl-eligible with two games left in the 2023 regular season. Auburn lost those last two matchups including a stunning 31-10 loss to New Mexico State as a 25-point favorite. The season ended with a bowl loss to Maryland.
Auburn was 10th in the SEC in total offense and 11th in scoring offense during the 2023 season. When looking at the 2024 Auburn Tigers stats , look for that to change this season.
The Tigers were 5-2 as the favorite last season and just 1-5 as the underdog.
Auburn covered in just two of six games following a win. The Tigers were tied with South Carolina with the fewest games landing over the total among SEC teams. Just one of the seven games when Auburn was favored landed over the college football betting lines total.
They began last season with +15000 odds of winning the national title with the Tigers seventh at +6000 in the SEC championship odds.
Tigers losing its final two games in the regular season resulted in paying out at +110 after finishing under 6.5 wins.
Auburn hasn’t had four straight losing seasons since going 5-29-4 from 1947 to 1950 so that is not the type of history that Hugh Freeze and the Auburn Tigers are looking to make this season!
Auburn was picked to finish 10th in the SEC preseason poll with running back Jarquez Hunter and linebacker Eugene Asante being named to the preseason All-SEC team. In the college football rankings today — keep in mind that Auburn received votes in both the Associated Press and American Football Coaches Association preseason polls — but did not break into the top 25 in either poll. Perhaps that will change during the 2024 season.
At A Glance
| Odds to Win | Opening Odds | Current Odds |
| Championship | +10000 | +12500 |
| Conference | +5000 | +5000 |
| Regular Season Win Total | 7.5 (o +124, u- -154) | 7.5 (o +110, u- -140) |
| To Make Playoffs | Yes +680, No -1200 | Yes +700, No -1400 |
Tigers Look to Roar Behind Thorne and Hunter
It was a shaky first season at Auburn for former Michigan State quarterback Payton Thorne as he threw just four touchdown passes in Auburn’s seven losses. He was also sacked 31 times and under constant duress.
The Tigers used the transfer portal to give Thorne more pass catchers to throw the ball to. However, the biggest addition might not be from the portal as receiver Cam Coleman is a top-10 recruit and the headliner for a top-10 recruiting class for Auburn.
Thorne ran for more yards with Auburn in 2023 than he did in his three seasons at Michigan State.
The return of Thorne and Hunter gives Auburn coach Hugh Freeze two players to build the offense around with Tyrone Nix taking over as the offensive coordinator.
Auburn ranked near the bottom of the SEC in the incoming transfer classes as the Tigers focused on bringing in a top-10 recruiting class.
Penn State receiver KeAndre Lambert-Smith, Maryland tight end Rico Walker, Mississippi State offensive lineman Percy Lewis, Georgia State receiver Robert Lewis, Alabama cornerback Antonio Kite and Indiana defensive lineman Philip Blidi are the top incoming transfers.
Safety Donovan Kaufman transferred to North Carolina State while quarterback Robbie Ashford is now at South Carolina.
Leading tackler Asante and defensive end Jalen McLeod lead the list of returnees on defense with sack leader Marcus Harris among the departing players.
Another day, another honor 🏆@AsanteAssassin has been named to the Butkus Award watch list, presented to the Linebacker of the Year!
📰 https://t.co/qdp8yTmyAs pic.twitter.com/2CXsYjJONh
— Auburn Football (@AuburnFootball) August 13, 2024
Championship Odds: Let’s Take A Wait-And-See Approach
Is Auburn the team that got blown out by New Mexico State or the one that Alabama needed a miraculous 4th-and-31 play to avoid the upset at the hands of the Tigers?
Head coach Hugh Freeze has plenty of baggage but he knows how to win games in the SEC. Asking him to be in contention for the national title this season might be a little much.
The non-conference schedule shouldn’t offer much of a challenge with games against Alabama A&M, California, New Mexico, and UL Monroe. Of course, nobody saw the loss to New Mexico State coming either.
Conference Odds: A Reasonable Schedule Could Help Tigers Roar
Five of the seven SEC games come against ranked teams. The Tigers did get a bye week in between the Oct. 5 road game against Georgia and the road matchup with Missouri. The final two conference games are against Texas A&M and Alabama with the Iron Bowl being held in Tuscaloosa.
Auburn hasn’t won at Alabama since 2010 with the Crimson Tide winning the last six home games versus Auburn by an average of 26.7 points. Auburn won’t face Texas, LSU, or Ole Miss during the regular season.
Perhaps the 2024 Auburn Tigers stats will see Auburn finish a little higher than projected but it is hard to see the Tigers in the SEC title game.
Regular Season Wins: It Might Be Hard for Tigers to Reach Eight Wins
When looking at the 2024 Auburn Tigers stats, Auburn would need to win four SEC games, assuming they run the table in the non-conference portion of the schedule.
If Auburn takes care of business against Arkansas, Kentucky, and Vanderbilt, that leaves the Tigers in the position of having to beat at least one ranked team to go over 7.5 wins during the regular season.
Auburn was 0-3 against ranked teams in 2023 but the losses were by seven, seven, and three points so perhaps the Tigers are close to breaking through.
To Make Playoffs: It Is Not Looking Good for Auburn
Auburn hasn’t won a bowl game since 2018. That should be the goal for the season.
With Texas and Oklahoma joining an already stacked SEC, Auburn would need to pull off some upsets to be in the conversation to land one of the 12 spots in the College Football Playoff bracket .
Side Bets
It will take some searching to find quarterback Payton Thorne or running back Jarquez Hunter in the Heisman Trophy odds.
Hunter at +700 to lead the SEC in rushing yards is a tempting option.
Auburn covered against Georgia in 2023 and that was the first time that happened since 2013 so take a look at the odds that have Georgia favored by more than 20 points. Auburn as a home underdog against Oklahoma is another game to keep an eye on.
For NCAAF picks today, betting analysis and more, visit Point Spreads Sports Magazine.
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