Sam Avellone
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The SEC was nearly perfect in Week 1. The conference won 13 of its 14 games, with its lone blemish being a 24-23 LSU loss to Florida State on Sunday night. The Tigers fought back from a 24-10 deficit and scored what looked to be the game-tying touchdown as time expired, but the Seminoles blocked the extra point to secure the 1-point win in dramatic fashion. The defending champion Georgia Bulldogs proved they are still one of the country’s best teams in their 49-3 drubbing of Oregon, while Arkansas and Florida secured strong non-conference wins against ranked teams in Cincinnati and Utah, respectively.
With Week 1 in the books, we turn our attention to Week 2 – when the SEC has multiple high-profile matchups both in conference and against other Power 5 conferences. How will Texas fare against Alabama? Will underdogs such as Kentucky or South Carolina have what it takes to win on the road in the SEC? Can Vanderbilt reach 3-0 even with quarterback Sam Hartman back on the field for Wake Forest?
While we anxiously await answers to these questions, I picked a few spots that stand out as great betting opportunities on the SEC schedule in Week 2 and will break them down for you. Let’s dive in.
Week 2 SEC best bets
Alabama 1H -11.5 (-122) vs Texas
Odds available at FanDuel at the time of publishing. Playable to -13.5.
Alabama’s first-half success over the last few seasons, especially early in the year, is well documented. In 2019 and 2020 combined, Alabama outscored its August and September opponents 170-33 in the first half. Last season with Bryce Young leading the offense, the Crimson Tide continued first-half dominance early in the season when they outscored their September opponents 121-19 before halftime. With Young back this season as one of the Heisman favorites, the Tide continued their ways when they took a 41-0 lead into halftime against Utah State in Week 1. Moving forward to Week 2, Alabama will travel to Austin to play the Longhorns, where we could see more first-half domination by the Crimson Tide.
While head coach Steve Sarkisian is familiar with Alabama’s tendencies, the Longhorn offense will operate with an inexperienced quarterback in Quinn Ewers. Ewers may progress into a great college quarterback in the future, but facing Will Anderson and the rest of this daunting Alabama defense is a tough task for anyone – let alone a quarterback making his second career start. The offensive line, consisting of 2 true freshmen and just 1 upperclassman, will likely have a difficult time keeping a clean pocket for Ewers or creating running lanes for Bijan Robinson. Because of that, I do not see Texas scoring many points before halftime. Defensively, the Longhorns have a lot of new faces, some playing new positions, who will be truly tested for the first time this Saturday against Alabama. Expect Young to pick apart the Texas secondary early and for Alabama to go into halftime with a sizable lead. Jump on this as soon as you can, because the line will move.
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South Carolina +8.5 (-110) vs Arkansas
Odds available at FanDuel at the time of publishing. Playable to +7.5.
Arkansas was able to hold off Cincinnati in a 31-24 Week 1 win, but there may have been some fortune involved for the Razorbacks. The Bearcats, who replaced a lot of key pieces from last year’s College Football Playoff team, accumulated 438 total yards compared to Arkansas’s 447 and were able to move the ball easily at multiple points in the game with Eastern Michigan transfer quarterback Ben Bryant at the helm. Bryant threw for 325 yards and 2 touchdowns, and if it was not for an early interception and a late fumble the Bearcats could have put themselves in a very good position to win on the road in Arkansas. The Razorback secondary struggled throughout the game, which is something South Carolina quarterback Spencer Rattler can expose if he has enough time to throw. While the Gamecocks do not have as good of an offensive line as the Bearcats, they have receivers and tight ends who are exceptional route runners and are capable of creating throwing lanes against leaky secondaries. Yes, Rattler did throw 2 interceptions, but his comfort rose throughout South Carolina’s Week 1 win against a Georgia State team that is one of the most experienced teams in the country and will likely challenge for a Sun Belt championship.
Razorback quarterback KJ Jefferson is a dual-threat quarterback and a matchup nightmare for opposing defenses, as he threw for 223 yards and 3 touchdowns against Cincinnati while adding 62 yards and another touchdown with his legs. However, I believe the Gamecocks have enough pieces defensively to keep this game close. South Carolina returns starters at the linebacker position as well as its interior defensive line, while the secondary remains the strength of its defense. Cam Smith, arguably one of the best defensive backs in the SEC, returned for another year after allowing just 15 catches on 32 targets with 3 interceptions and 11 pass breakups in 2021. He plays alongside returning starter Darius Rush, who stands at 6’2” and broke up 8 passes last year, and Marcellas Dial, who had 3 pass breakups and an interceptions last week.
South Carolina’s special-teams unit is also worth mentioning, as the Gamecocks blocked 2 punts for touchdowns against Georgia State. Coach Shane Beamer appears to be deploying his own version of “Beamerball” in Columbia – a term that was made popular by his father and former Virginia Tech coach Frank Beamer. While some may consider a blocked punt lucky, Beamerball refers to the idea that teams can create scoring opportunities by way of blocked kicks, blocked punts and interceptions – so these plays are rehearsed and practiced throughout the week by Beamer-led teams.
Look for Rattler to put pressure on the Arkansas secondary on Saturday. If the Gamecocks can continue their exceptional play on special teams and force a few turnovers along the way, they could put themselves in position to spring the upset in Arkansas. Take the points.
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Tennessee vs Pittsburgh +6.5 (-114)
Odds available at FanDuel at the time of publishing. Play to +6.
Tennessee routed Ball State last week 59-10, but the Tennessee defensive line struggled. The Volunteers did not record a sack and hurried the quarterback on just 16% of Ball State’s dropbacks. They could be in for a long day against a Pitt offensive line that returns almost all of its production from last season to protect its quarterback. While Pitt does not have Kenny Pickett anymore, the Panthers are led by Kedon Slovis – who is an experienced college quarterback that threw for 308 yards and 1 touchdown with no interceptions against West Virginia in Week 1. Expect Pitt offensive coordinator Frank Cignetti to deploy a game-plan that promotes ball security and clock management with a strong rushing attack and high-percentage throws against a Tennessee team that ranked 65th in rush defense and 124th in pass defense last season against FBS opponents. As for Pitt’s defense, the Panthers return 75% of their production from last season – including 6 all-ACC selections. This unit ranked 2nd nationally in sacks a year ago, as well as 4th in defensive touchdowns, 6th in rush defense and 8th in interceptions.
These two teams met last season in a game in which Pitt forced 3 Tennessee turnovers en route to a 41-34 win in Knoxville. With this year’s matchup being played in Pittsburgh, I think the Panthers can replicate a strong defensive performance against the Volunteers. Look for the Panthers to manage the clock when they possess the ball, and for their defense to force Hendon Hooker into tough decisions when Tennessee possesses the ball. Take the points with the home ‘dog in a game I expect to be decided by a late field goal.
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