The Georgia Bulldogs captured their first National Championship since 1980, but it was Nick Saban and the Alabama Crimson Tide that took home the 2021 SEC Championship. Can Georgia claim their first conference title since 2017? Will it be Alabama again? Or will another contender rise and steal the crown? Find SEC odds and conference analysis below for the 2022 college football season.
Included are team-by-team previews, power rankings, players to watch, and more.
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SEC football odds 2022
To bet on a team future, simply click on the odds below.
2022 SEC Power Rankings
- Georgia Bulldogs ()
- Alabama Crimson Tide ()
- Tennessee Volunteers ()
- Kentucky Wildcats ()
- Texas A&M Aggies ()
- Arkansas Razorbacks ()
- Florida Gators ()
- Ole Miss Rebels ()
- Mississippi State Bulldogs ()
- LSU Tigers ()
- Auburn Tigers ()
- South Carolina Gamecocks ()
- Vanderbilt Commodores ()
- Missouri Tigers ()
Players to watch
Offense
Bryce Young, QB, Alabama: The 2021 Heisman winner returns to Tuscaloosa for his redshirt sophomore season. Young threw for over 4,300 yards and 43 touchdowns a season ago en route to an SEC Championship victory and National Championship appearance. He loses his top two receivers, but Alabama’s talent pool is infinite.
Anthony Richardson, QB, Florida: Richardson was the victim of a bad locker room and tumultuous freshman year at Florida. He showed superstar potential, lighting the college world on fire in very limited early-season action. Richardson assumes the starting position after Emory Jones transferred to Arizona State.
Brock Bowers, TE, Georgia: What Bowers was able to do as a true freshman was borderline unfair. He hauled in 882 yards and 13 passes for the National Champion Bulldogs– most on the team. Despite a talented receiving corps to compete with, Bowers will be their top target and a runaway for the first team spot on the All-American list.
Hendon Hooker, QB, Tennessee: Hooker’s name is intriguing among longshot Heisman contenders this season. He finished 2021 with a 31:3 touchdown-interception ratio and over a 180 QB rating. During his time at Virginia Tech and with the Vols, he’s a proven star with a smooth game and an ability to carry Tennessee to a bunch of wins.
Defense
Will Anderson Jr., LB, Alabama: Anderson was the biggest Heisman snub a season ago with widespread calls for his name to appear on the ballot. He’s a projected top NFL prospect after racking up a ridiculous 31 tackles for loss in his sophomore season. Anderson’s the frontrunner for awards like the Butkus Award and the Bednarik Award.
Dallas Turner, LB, Alabama: Anderson is the nation’s best defensive player and will draw all of the attention from opposing offenses. But Turner may end up being equally productive this season from drawing one-on-one’s. As a freshman Turner, recorded only 30 tackles, but 10 of them went for a loss and 8.5 of those were sacks. Freaky stats for a rotational freshman.
Jalen Carter, DL, Georgia: For those who were hoping Jordan Davis was the last of the dominant interior defensive linemen for Georgia, avert your eyes. Carter is a preseason All-American selection and likely a first-round NFL Draft pick in waiting. Buried under the accolades of his teammates, Carter recorded 8.5 tackles for loss and three sacks as a sophomore.
Kelee Ringo, CB, Georgia: I tried to pull a diverse group of players to watch for this section, I really did. But it’s hard to ignore preseason first team All-American selections. As a true freshman, Ringo iced the National Championship victory for Georgia with a pick-six. He defended eight passes last season, too, most among returning players on Georgia.
SEC Power Rankings
1. Alabama: My annual policy is to put Alabama first and force the other schools to prove me wrong. Georgia did it last year, but it hasn’t gone that well for the rest of the SEC in the last decade-plus. They’re the best team, returning the Heisman winner, best defensive player, and a litany of All-American players.
2. Georgia: The Dawgs looked and played the part in a stunning 49-3 Week 1 rout of the Oregon Ducks. QB Stetson Bennett made highlight-reel plays and the team looked overall untested against what should be a good Oregon team. Georgia appears ready to run it back.
3. Texas A&M: In terms of talent, Texas A&M is arguably the second-best team in the SEC. However, as A&M has demonstrated in the past, that doesn’t always translate into lots of wins. This is a talent placement, not a standings projection.
4. Tennessee: The Vols return 77% of their production from a season ago that saw a big step forward. Hendon Hooker (31 TDs, three INTs in 2021) and Cedrick Tillman (64-1,081-12) are one of the most exciting duos in the SEC.
5. Florida: After being majorly written off under a new coaching staff and losing multiple players, Florida knocked off a top-10 Utah team in Week 1. Anthony Richardson made electric plays– vaulting himself well into the early Heisman conversation– but it was the defense that locked up the victory in the end.
Best SEC betting sites
SEC results 2021
| West | Conference Record | East | Conference Record |
|---|---|---|---|
| Alabama | 7-1 | Georgia | 8-0 |
| Ole Miss | 6-2 | Kentucky | 5-3 |
| Arkansas | 4-4 | Tennessee | 4-4 |
| Mississippi State | 4-4 | Missouri | 3-5 |
| Texas A&M | 4-4 | South Carolina | 3-5 |
| Auburn | 3-5 | Florida | 2-6 |
| LSU | 3-5 | Vanderbilt | 0-8 |
Past conference champions
| Year | Winner | Record |
|---|---|---|
| 2021 | Alabama | 13-2 |
| 2020 | Alabama* | 13-0 |
| 2019 | LSU* | 15-0 |
| 2018 | Alabama | 14-1 |
| 2017 | Georgia | 13-2 |
| 2016 | Alabama | 14-1 |
| 2015 | Alabama* | 14-1 |
| 2014 | Alabama | 12-2 |
| 2013 | Auburn | 12-2 |
| 2012 | Alabama* | 13-1 |
| 2011 | LSU | 13-1 |
| 2010 | Auburn* | 14-0 |
*Indicates National Champion
How to bet on conference winners
When betting conference futures– or any prop, at that– be sure to shop around at different books for the best price. Just because BetMGM offers Texas A&M to win the SEC at +450 doesn’t mean they all do; FanDuel Sportsbook may offer the same prop at +600, increasing your potential payout. Here at TheLines, we compile all the odds for you so you don’t have to spend time flipping through tabs.
Betting conference winners in college football can be a tricky proposition. While it may be simple to click chalky teams like Alabama and move on, there’s not much value in that. Consider factors like:
- Returning production
- Coaching turnover
- Star quarterbacks
- Schedule (out of conference and home/away splits)
- Offensive line experience/cohesiveness
Betting college football differs heavily from the NFL. You need to consider talent gaps, coaching prowess, and positional depth, particularly at the line of scrimmage. Don’t let recruiting dominate team evaluation as those players won’t see the field for at least another season or two.
Keep up to date with TheLines coverage of the SEC all season long and follow us on Twitter for more college football betting content.