SEC 2017 College Football Betting Preview: Alabama Leads LSU, Auburn on Odds

The Alabama Crimson Tide have owned the SEC of late, winning three straight conference championships and five of the last eight titles, and they're heavily favored to do so again this season at sportsbooks monitored by OddsShark.

Unfortunately, they're such heavy favorites that it almost defeats the purpose of betting on them. Is there other, better, value to be found in this year's odds to win the SEC championship?

The Crimson Tide top the SEC title board at a price of -150 (bet $150 to win $100). Alabama only returns 11 starters from a team that came within one second last year of winning a second straight national championship. However, that includes a pair of Heisman candidates in quarterback Jalen Hurts (+1600) and running back Bo Scarbrough (+1400).

The Tide also get Tennessee and LSU at home, and miss the top two contenders out of the East Division, Florida and Georgia.

The LSU Tigers sit as co-second choices along with Auburn at +500 on the SEC title odds. LSU enters its first full season under head coach Ed Orgeron, for whom they went 6-2 last season, but the Tigers face a tough SEC slate with road games at Florida, at Alabama and at Tennessee.

Auburn returns 14 starters from a team that went 5-3 in SEC play last season, and that doesn't include transfer quarterback Jarrett Stidham (+1400 on the Heisman Trophy odds), who left Baylor to join this team. But Auburn must play at Florida, at Alabama and at Tennessee, and two conference losses might be too much.

OddsShark SEC 2017 Season Betting Preview

Georgia comes next at +700. The Bulldogs get back 17 starters for this season, their second under head coach Kirby Smart. They include quarterback Jacob Eason, running back Nick Chubb and almost the entire defense. And while Georgia must play at Tennessee and at Auburn, they miss Alabama and LSU.

Finally, Florida follows at +800. The Gators have won the SEC East the last two seasons, but lost the SEC Championship Game both times to Alabama. This year Florida returns 14 starters and enjoys a favorable conference schedule, with only three true road games and no Alabama or Auburn.

Rounding out the rest of the 2017 SEC championship odds, Tennessee is +2000, with Texas A&M at +4000, Arkansas at +6600, Mississippi State at +7500, Kentucky and South Carolina at +10000, and Missouri and Vanderbilt at +20000.

The Crimson Tide are also set as the +275 favorites on the odds to win the national championship.