The SEC Championship matchup is settled: the Georgia Bulldogs will take on the LSU Tigers in Mercedes-Benz Stadium. However, plenty of questions remain unanswered in the conference. For example, the Arkansas Razorbacks still need another win to secure bowl eligibility. The Tennessee Volunteers must win out to keep their College Football Playoff hopes alive as well. With just two weeks of college football action left, bettors should tail these SEC bets and predictions to secure a positive return. For more College Football odds and best bets, check out the OddsShopper tools.
Best SEC Bets
Florida-Vanderbilt: Gators Not Favored By Enough
The Vanderbilt Commodores earned a surprising win over a ranked Kentucky team last weekend — and they did it on the road. Kentucky quarterback Will Levis was unable to lead the Wildcats downfield and totaled only 109 passing yards against the ‘Dores last weekend. Running back Chris Rodriguez almost bailed him out with a 72-yard touchdown run, but sharp clock management by Vanderbilt coach Clark Lea kept the Wildcats off the field until Levis didn’t have enough time to lead another drive.
The ‘Dores opened as 14.5-point underdogs to Florida, but they’ve drawn enough action after their big win for the spread to have flipped onto the key number. Although Vanderbilt has improved immensely since last year, the Commodores lack the talent necessary to keep Saturday’s contest within two scores. Florida ranks a solid 20th in the Fremeau Efficiency Index (FEI) while Vanderbilt ranks just 84th. Vanderbilt’s defense ranks a miserable 124th in yards allowed per play (6.6).
Although the Gators haven’t looked perfect this season, they’ve turned things around late in the year. They dominated South Carolina to win by 32 last week, and they beat Texas A&M by 17 the week before. Head coach Billy Napier has steadily improved as a coach, and the Gators are 3-0 against the spread over their last three games. In contrast, Vanderbilt has routinely lost by big margins to strong SEC programs: they fell to Ole Miss by 24, Georgia by 55 and Alabama by 52. The Gators should be favored by more than two scores.
That said, the Gators lack the defense necessary to shut out Vanderbilt. They rank only 112th in yards allowed per play (6.1), 101st in yards allowed per pass attempt (7.9) and 85th in offensive touchdowns allowed per game (3.4). The ‘Dores should put something on the scoreboard against Florida, and backing wide receiver Will Sheppard to break the plane is a sharp bet. The big-bodied, 6-foot-3 boundary receiver leads the team with 52 receptions, 708 receiving yards and nine touchdowns.
Best SEC Bets for Florida-Vanderbilt: Florida -14 (-110) at DraftKings
Will Sheppard Over 0.5 Receiving Touchdowns (+165 for 0.3 Unit) at DraftKings
Georgia-Kentucky: Low-Scoring First Half on Tap
The early bets column targeted the Georgia-Kentucky matchup to stay under 49.5 points, but the full-game total has flipped under the key number of 49 since publication. While the total still has some value at 48.5, bettors can pivot to a derivative market for a slightly better value option.
The under is sharp here because both Kentucky and Georgia have played offense at an incredibly slow pace. The Wildcats rank 129th in seconds per play (30.2) while the Bulldogs rank 111th (27.9). Kentucky’s offense has even struggled to move the ball and score, as it ranks 91st in yards per play (5) and 84th in points per play (0.344). Georgia’s offense hasn’t had that problem, but its defense ranks ninth in yards allowed per play (4.5) and second in points allowed per play (0.201).
The programs have combined to go 16-4 to the full-game under this season. A quick look at the first-half markets reveals that the under has value there as well. Kentucky ranks an embarrassing 113th in points per first half (9). Georgia ranks a solid fifth (21.7), but the Bulldogs may struggle to get there against a Kentucky defense that ranks a reasonable 43rd in points allowed per first half (11.8) and 46th in yards allowed per play (5.2).
The first-half total sits at 26.5 at most books. FanDuel has dropped it all the way to 24.5 in hopes of drawing action on the over. Bettors should head to Caesars for the best price remaining on the market before it gets bid off the board.
Best SEC Bet for Georgia-Kentucky: First Half Under 26.5 (-110) at Caesars
