SEC Football Week 10: Predictions and Betting Odds for Each Conference Matchup
If the drama in the SEC has not been enough in the first nine weeks of the season, Week 10 will arguably be the most important week within the conference so far.
There is a battle between two undefeated SEC East teams as No. 1 Georgia faces off against No. 2 Tennessee in Athens, Georgia. No. 6 Alabama travels to Death Valley to face No. 10 LSU in a night game. Mississippi State faces off against Auburn -- just days after athletic director John Cohen left MSU for the Tigers and head coach Bryan Harsin was fired.
Needless to say, it has been an interesting week in the SEC. The heightened drama will come to a head as these teams step on the gridiron to battle it out Saturday. As the end of the college football season draws near, each week will become more important for the top teams in the conference.
Here are week 10 betting odds according to SI Sportsbook along with game predictions for SEC matchups this Saturday:
Kentucky (-2) at Missouri (11:00 a.m., SEC Network)
This matchup between the Kentucky Wildcats (5-3, 2-3) and the Missouri Tigers (4-4, 2-3) has the potential to be one of the more underrated games of the weekend. Mizzou is riding the high of a huge win at South Carolina -- a team that was ranked 25th at the time. On the flip side, Kentucky got rolled by Tennessee in Knoxville last week.
Earlier in the season, Missouri came very close to pulling off an upset against Georgia in Columbia. Memorial Stadium will be rocking, and this will be a big challenge for Kentucky. Talent such as running back Chris Rodriguez Jr. and quarterback Will Levis need to step up against Mizzou, which ranks third in total defense in the SEC. You can expect this one to be close, but the Tigers will find a way to pull out the big game at home.
Prediction: Missouri 38 Kentucky 28
Florida at Texas A&M (-3.5) (11:00 a.m., ESPN)
Both Florida (4-4, 1-4) and Texas A&M (3-5, 1-4) are looking to find their footing this Saturday. Billy Napier and the Gators were dominated by Georgia last week, while Jimbo Fisher and the Aggies could not find a way to beat Ole Miss in College Station. For many ways and reasons, this is an important rebound game for both teams.
Even though Georgia led Florida 28-3 at halftime, the Gators battled back to make the score 28-20 in the third quarter. However, the Bulldogs would eventually pull away for a 42-20 win. Freshman quarterback Connor Weigman started in his first game for the Aggies against the Rebels -- throwing for 338 yards and four touchdowns in the loss. Talent such as Weigman and wideout Moose Muhammed III shined in moments, but it was not enough to stop the Lane Train.
The battle between the Gators and the Aggies will be another close one. Both teams have something to prove Saturday and are looking to bounce back after tough losses in Week 9. Look for Texas A&M to rebound against Florida at Kyle Field.
Prediction: Texas A&M 38 Florida 28
No. 2 Tennessee at No. 1 Georgia (-8.5) (2:30 p.m., CBS)
All eyes will be glued to television screens across the nation as the true top team in the country rises to the top. The undefeated Tennessee Vols head to Athens to face the undefeated Georgia Bulldogs. Tennessee is riding momentum from huge wins against Alabama and Kentucky. Quarterback Hendon Hooker is one of the front-runners for the Heisman Trophy and wideout Jalin Hyatt has been equally impressive for the Vols.
Georgia's best defensive player, edge rusher Nolan Smith, is out for the rest of the season due to a pectoral injury, and it will be intriguing to see how the Bulldogs' defense performs without Smith's ability to apply pressure on the opposition Saturday. After this weekend, there will be no question about who is the best team in college football.
Prediction: Tennessee 35 Georgia 31
Liberty at Arkansas (-13.5) (3:00 p.m., SEC Network)
The Arkansas Razorbacks are back on track, but playing against Liberty will be a tough task for the Hogs. Sam Pittman and Arkansas (5-3, 2-3) will look to put out Hugh Freeze and the Liberty Flames (7-1) on Saturday. The Hogs have rebounded from a tough stretch of losses on with a big win at BYU and a dominating performance against Auburn last Saturday.
Liberty will need to establish the passing game early and often. Arkansas' secondary is one of the worst in the SEC and fell in big moments earlier in the season. In the end, the Hogs should be able to keep their winning streak alive in Week 10.
Prediction: Arkansas 42 Liberty 28
No. 6 Alabama (-13) at No. 10 LSU (6:00 p.m., ESPN)
The matchup between the Crimson Tide (7-1, 4-1) and the Tigers (6-2, 4-1) has the potential to be the game of the weekend. LSU has proven that it has the talent to compete among the top teams in the SEC West, and playing in Tiger Stadium at night is no small task.
Both teams are coming off of a weekend with an open date and talented signal-callers at the helm. Alabama quarterback Bryce Young has shown why he's one of the top players in the country and LSU quarterback Jayden Daniels continues to improve each week. However, the Crimson Tide's secondary has gotten much better in comparison to its performance earlier in the season. Expect the Tide to roll past LSU heading into another important game next weekend against Ole Miss.
Prediction: Alabama 35 LSU 21
Auburn at Mississippi State (-13.5) (6:30 p.m., ESPN2)
It has been an interesting week between the Auburn Tigers and the Mississippi State Bulldogs. MSU athletic director John Cohen left the Bulldogs for the Tigers Monday and Auburn head coach Bryan Harsin was fired shortly afterwards. Needless to say, the battle between MSU (5-3, 2-3) and Auburn (3-5, 1-4) will be intriguing.
Auburn was dominated by Arkansas at home last Saturday and the Bulldogs are coming off of a much-needed bye week. Mississippi State is arguably the healthiest it has been all season. Defensive tackle Jalen Crumedy looks to be making his season debut for MSU this weekend, which could play a huge role in the success of the Bulldogs' defense.
The Bulldogs will look to score early and often against an Auburn defense that ranks 11th in the SEC. Expect MSU to find a way to win big against the Tigers in Davis Wade Stadium.
Prediction: Mississippi State 41 Auburn 20
South Carolina (-7) at Vanderbilt (6:30 p.m., SEC Network)
There's no denying that the Gamecocks looked rough against Missouri in Week 9. South Carolina's offensive line allows too much pressure to get to quarterback Spencer Rattler, which has led to bad decisions and an extensive amount of sacks for the Gamecocks' offense.
Vanderbilt's main struggles have been on defense. They allow the most total yards per game in the SEC as well as the most points. If Vandy wants to "Anchor Down" and outscore the Gamecocks, it needs to find a way to score early and prevent explosive plays. South Carolina will find a way to pull this one out in Nashville, Tennessee.
Prediction: South Carolina 35 Vanderbilt 20
