Everyone in the SEC should be grateful they don’t have to go to Auburn, Lexington, or Knoxville during the conference tournament. During the regular season, Auburn, Kentucky, and Tennessee posted a 50-0 combined record at their respective home arenas. The field that descend on Tampa, Fla., for this tournament will feature nine schools that finished at .500 or better in conference play.
Alabama is the defending tournament champion, having won as the top seed last season by surviving an 80-79 victory over LSU. The Crimson Tide, who finished 20-11 overall and 9-9 in conference play, are seeded sixth with +1800 betting odds to come out on top. Alabama still features a 3-point happy attack, which can result in boom-or-bust performances.
Let’s go over all of the available sport betting information and try to find the best NCAAB expert picks to bet on!
SEC Conference Tournament Betting Analysis
Restoring the Roar
Auburn, which is ranked No. 4 nationally, was voted to finish fifth in the SEC by a preseason media poll. The Tigers smashed those expectations, capturing the conference regular-season title by a game over Kentucky and Tennessee. Auburn’s excellent defense has allowed the Tigers to exceed expectations.
Auburn limits its opponents to 38.3 percent shooting from the field, which ranks seventh nationally. The Tigers limit their opponents to 67 points per game and win by a margin of 12.2 points per game. Auburn guard Jabari Smith has been a catalyst for the Tigers, contributing 17.1 points and 6.9 points per game.
Auburn big man Walker Kessler gives the Tigers a dominant presence on the blocks, as he contributes 11.5 points and 8.2 rebounds per contest. Opponents have had a hard time slowing down Auburn’s offense, as their 79.3 points per game is the 24th-best mark nationally. The Tigers are +200 to win the crown.
Calipari bounces back
Kentucky coach John Calipari was feeling the heat after turning in a 9-16 campaign last season and missing out on the postseason entirely. It was Calipari’s first losing season as a coach since his first season at UMass, during the 1988-89 season. However, Calipari’s excellence in coaching was his early willingness to take one-and-done players.
For this Kentucky team, Caliparo was willing to embrace the transfer portal. Convincing Oscar Tshiebwe to come to Lexington after leaving West Virginia may be one of his greatest recruiting coups.
Tshiebwe leads the country by pulling down 15.3 rebounds per game and scores a team-high 17.3 points per game. Kentucky, which is a +125 favorite to win the tournament, has collected several strong victories in and out of the conference. The Wildcats crushed Kansas in the Big 12-SEC challenge and also picked up a big win over UNC.
Barnes storming
Rick Barnes has been a solid coach since taking over at Tennessee and has taken the Volunteers to the NCAAB Tournament in the last three seasons where the tournament was held. This year’s Volunteers team was unbeatable at home, compiling a 16-0 record, but weren’t great away from home.
Tennessee is 7-7 in true road and neutral site games. Kennedy Chandler and Santiago Vescovi lead the Volunteers by averaging 13.7 and 13.5 points per game, respectively. The Volunteers are +350 to win the title.
Tennessee’s defense has been outstanding. The Volunteers rank 33rd nationally in scoring defense, limiting opponents to 63.3 points per game. Tennessee also limits its opponents to 40.5 percent shooting from the floor, which ranks 39th nationally.
LSU is +1300 and capable of smothering teams with its strong defense. However, the Tigers have struggled to be consistent on offense and can’t afford to allow teams to get too far in front of them.
Rest of the Field
Arkansas won 14 of its past 16 games and is interesting at +700. The Razorbacks’ success will hinge on being healthy in the postseason. Au’Diese Toney missed some time at the end of the year due to injury, and Arkansas will need him to be a key contributor.
Defending champion Alabama relies on shooting well from the outside and can make opponents uncomfortable with their pace. The Crimson Tide are one of the only teams this season to beat Gonzaga. Florida is +5000 NCAAB odds and has played many opponents tough this season.
The Gators, however, are inconsistent despite their talent and are difficult to count on.
SEC Conference Tournament Prediction
Arkansas found something in the middle of the season that allowed the Razorbacks to kick into gear. While it doesn’t have strong outside shooting, the Razorbacks are relentless on defense and attack the rim relentlessly on offense. Arkansas will approach this tournament with more of a chip on its shoulder.
While Kentucky and Auburn are in the running for a No. 1 seed, neither would suffer too much from not grabbing the tournament crown. If you are going to place some NCAAB betting picks, take the Razorbacks at a good number and expect some of their momentum from the end of the year to carry into the postseason.
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