What the Opening Betting Odds Say About Auburn's 2026 Opener vs. Baylor

Although college basketball is currently in the heart of its schedule, the Auburn Tigers sit 214 days away from their 2026 football season opener.

Auburn faces the Baylor Bears at Mercedes-Benz Stadium in Atlanta on Sept. 5, which stands just over seven months away. FanDuel released its first betting line ahead of Auburn’s clash with Baylor, and the Tigers have opened as a 7.5-point favorite over the Bears.

The matchup is set to mark the dawn of a new era on the Plains, as it will be Auburn’s first game with head coach Alex Golesh at the helm. The meeting was originally scheduled as the second edition of a home-and-home with Baylor, as last year’s was played in Waco on Baylor’s home turf, but the athletic department announced earlier in the fall that the game had been moved to Atlanta for NIL reasons.

It will still be treated as an Auburn home game, as season ticket packages will include the matchup against Baylor. Reports circulated that the Tigers could potentially generate over $5 million in NIL from this move to Atlanta, which, in today’s college football landscape, programs need to do whatever they can to remain competitive in that space.

Auburn and Baylor have faced each other five times throughout the two programs’ respective histories, and the record is currently even at 2-2-1. The last meeting, obviously, came in the 2025 season opener this past August, when Auburn claimed a 38-24 win over the Bears for what transpired to be one of just two Power Four victories that the Tigers would claim all year.

Despite a strong effort by Baylor quarterback Sawyer Robinson, Kole Wilson, Michael Trigg, and Ashtyn Hawkins, lifting the Bears to more than 400 yards through the air, the Tigers’ rushing attack proved to be too much to stop. Auburn recorded north of 300 rushing yards against the Bears’ defense, which played two high safeties for the majority of the night, with now-UNLV quarterback Jackson Arnold contributing 137 of those.

However, Auburn and Baylor’s offenses won’t look the same in 2026, and both will boast extremely different rosters as a whole next season. Golesh and his former USF staff brought a plethora of USF transfers to the Plains, including star quarterback Byrum Brown, who’s rated as one of the best players in the portal this offseason.

Additionally, numerous other former Bulls followed Golesh and Brown to Auburn, such as wide receivers Keshaun Singleton, Jeremiah Koger, Chas Nimord, tight end Jonathan Echols, and offensive lineman Cole Best.

The Tigers also added pieces who are not from USF on both sides of the football, including expected contributors like Baylor running back Bryson Washington, Ole Miss edge rusher Da’Shawn Womack, LSU defensive lineman Walter Mathis Jr., Michigan State offensive tackle Stanton Ramil, JMU offensive tackle Joseph Simmons, Missouri edge rusher Nate Johnson, and many more.

Auburn saw 36 players depart and it brought in 39 additions, but the Tigers statistically have the worst transfer portal haul in the SEC, according to On3.

On the other hand, most of Baylor’s main offensive weapons from last season are gone. Robertson, Washington (now at Auburn), Wilson, Trigg, Hawkins, and Josh Cameron are all either entering the NFL Draft, out of eligibility, or leaving via the transfer portal.

However, the Bears’ incoming portal class is headlined by Florida transfer quarterback DJ Lagway, who spent two seasons with the Gators before transferring back to his home state. The meeting on Sept. 5 will mark the second consecutive season that Lagway has faced Brown – Brown and the Bulls defeated Lagway and the Gators last year in The Swamp.

Other notable transfers that Baylor picked up through the portal include linebacker Garrett Ponder, defensive lineman Kamren Washington, wide receiver Dre’lon Miller, and edge rusher Jordan Mack.

This is an extremely important game for both squads, but for Auburn, it serves as an opportunity for Brown and this revamped locker room to secure a momentum-generating win to begin the season. Golesh and company being able to knock off a Power Four opponent at a neutral site would certainly be a promising look, and it would build legitimate excitement heading into Auburn’s three-game homestand.

Game odds refresh periodically and are subject to change.

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