Auburn Football Preview: Odds Makers Foretell a Successful Season

With one week to go before fall practice begins for the Auburn Tigers, odds makers have come up with some interesting takes on the SEC. While this is certainly no endorsement or encouragement to gamble, it does make for interesting debate. 

In what appears to be a GAF by the Vegas odds makers, Auburn is picked to only win eight games in 2010. While this would appear to be logical, as Auburn did win eight games in 2009, it is a contradiction to the individual odds for each game.

The sports books have set the line at 8.5 games for Auburn. Auburn is minus-120 over 8.5 and plus-100 under 8.5.   That can be translated as the following: Auburn is a favorite to win more than 8.5 games and it is even odds that Auburn will win less than 8.5 games.

What makes this unusual is that Auburn is favored in 10 or 11 of its first 11 games. It is unusual to have a win total so low when these criteria exist.

Here are some odds of different SEC teams for their season win total.

Team	Season Win Total	Over/Under/Even
Alabama	10	Over minus–110 /Under minus-110
Arkansas	8.5	Over plus-105/Under minus-125
Auburn	8.5	Over minus-120/Under plus-100
Florida	10	Over minus-130/Under plus-110
Georgia	8.5	Over minus-140/Under plus-120
LSU	Eight	Over plus-100/Under minus-120
South Carolina	Seven	Over minus-110/Under minus-110
Tennessee	Six	Over plus-170/Under minus-210

To try and translate this for fans that do not bet, like me, here is my take. Alabama is picked to win 10 games and it is a solid pick with Alabama being favored equally to go over or under ten wins.

Arkansas is favored to win 8.5 or less games in 2010.

Auburn is favored to win 8.5 games or more this season.

Florida is favored to win 10 games are more this season.

Georgia is favored to win 8.5 games or more in 2010.

LSU is picked to win eight games or less this season.

South Carolina is a strong pick to win seven games with the over and under being even.

Tennessee is being favored to win six games or less for the season.

Odds Predictions

Western Division

Alabama should have 10 wins.

Auburn wins more than eight.

Arkansas earns less than nine wins.

LSU produces less than eight wins.

Eastern Division

Florida wins more than 10 in 2010.

Georgia reels off more than eight wins.

South Carolina earns seven wins.

Tennessee wins less than six this season.