Vegas releases Week 5 SEC betting lines
I made Alabama a 42-point favorite over Louisiana-Lafayette before the season, and a 49-point favorite when I projected the lines early Sunday morning.
The line opened Alabama -53.5. In other words, books are falling just short of betting for money to oppose the Tide in this game.
They got it fast, as the line got hammered down to 49 immediately.
Alabama would need to score at least 50 points to cover, even if it shut out the Ragin' Cajuns. Nick Saban's team is capable of doing that. But, with the meat of the SEC schedule upcoming, will it want to?
Week 5 lines
Louisiana-Lafayette at Alabama (-49), noon ET
Arkansas vs. Texas A&M (-20), noon ET
Tennessee at Georgia (off), 3:30 p.m. ET
Southern Miss at Auburn (-30.5), 4 p.m. ET
Florida at Mississippi State (-8.5), 6 p.m. ET
South Carolina (-2) at Kentucky, 7:30 p.m. ET
Ole Miss at LSU (-14), 9 p.m. ET
Based on BetOnline lines as of 4:30 p.m. ET Sunday
Week 5 SEC gambling notes
-Golden Nugget in Las Vegas released hypothetical national championship matchup spreads this week. It listed Alabama as a 10.5-point favorite over Georgia. It gives Ohio State (+9.5) the best chance of beating Alabama.
-Texas A&M edged Alabama against the spread, losing 45-23 as a 24.5-point underdog, to hand Alabama its first ATS loss of the season. The Aggies (4-0 ATS) are the only SEC team to cover every game so far.
-Arkansas (0-4 ATS) is the only SEC team that has not covered a spread this season. I've moved the Razorbacks from my No. 56 preseason to No. 83.
-Texas A&M and Arkansas play each other. Bettors will have to decide to go with the trend or hope the market has overcorrected.
-I rank Alabama No. 1 and Louisiana-Lafayette No. 124 of 130. The betting market finally adjusted high enough for Alabama this week, as the Tide reached -27 vs. Texas A&M before finally drawing sharp money that hammered the line back to -24.5. Bama now is overvalued in the market. But anyone want to try sleeping at night betting against the Tide in this one?
-LSU opened as a 13-point favorite over Ole Miss at South Point in Las Vegas in May. Ed Orgeron is 8-1 ATS against SEC teams since becoming head coach, not interim coach, before last season.
-Florida coach Dan Mullen returns to Starkville for the first time after coaching Mississippi State for 9 years. He was 9-5 ATS as a road underdog in the last 5 years, and this is his first road underdog spot at Florida.
-Mississippi State lost by 21 last week at Kentucky as a 10-point favorite. But the Bulldogs are still 3-1 ATS. Can new head coach Joe Moorhead pull his team together after a disastrous performance Saturday?
-Is Kentucky still underrated? After beating Florida and Mississippi State outright as double-digit underdogs, the Wildcats opened pick'em vs. South Carolina. Bettors immediately hit the Gamecocks, who are now a 2-point road favorite.
-Tennessee State at Vanderbilt (4 p.m. ET) does not have a posted line. FBS vs. FCS games usually are posted on Saturdays. Missouri has a bye week.
I made Alabama a 42-point favorite over Louisiana-Lafayette before the season, and a 49-point favorite when I projected the lines early Sunday morning.
The line opened Alabama -53.5. In other words, books are falling just short of betting for money to oppose the Tide in this game.
They got it fast, as the line got hammered down to 49 immediately.
Alabama would need to score at least 50 points to cover, even if it shut out the Ragin' Cajuns. Nick Saban's team is capable of doing that. But, with the meat of the SEC schedule upcoming, will it want to?
Week 5 lines
Louisiana-Lafayette at Alabama (-49), noon ET
Arkansas vs. Texas A&M (-20), noon ET
Tennessee at Georgia (off), 3:30 p.m. ET
Southern Miss at Auburn (-30.5), 4 p.m. ET
Florida at Mississippi State (-8.5), 6 p.m. ET
South Carolina (-2) at Kentucky, 7:30 p.m. ET
Ole Miss at LSU (-14), 9 p.m. ET
Based on BetOnline lines as of 4:30 p.m. ET Sunday
Week 5 SEC gambling notes
-Golden Nugget in Las Vegas released hypothetical national championship matchup spreads this week. It listed Alabama as a 10.5-point favorite over Georgia. It gives Ohio State (+9.5) the best chance of beating Alabama.
-Texas A&M edged Alabama against the spread, losing 45-23 as a 24.5-point underdog, to hand Alabama its first ATS loss of the season. The Aggies (4-0 ATS) are the only SEC team to cover every game so far.
-Arkansas (0-4 ATS) is the only SEC team that has not covered a spread this season. I've moved the Razorbacks from my No. 56 preseason to No. 83.
-Texas A&M and Arkansas play each other. Bettors will have to decide to go with the trend or hope the market has overcorrected.
-I rank Alabama No. 1 and Louisiana-Lafayette No. 124 of 130. The betting market finally adjusted high enough for Alabama this week, as the Tide reached -27 vs. Texas A&M before finally drawing sharp money that hammered the line back to -24.5. Bama now is overvalued in the market. But anyone want to try sleeping at night betting against the Tide in this one?
-LSU opened as a 13-point favorite over Ole Miss at South Point in Las Vegas in May. Ed Orgeron is 8-1 ATS against SEC teams since becoming head coach, not interim coach, before last season.
-Florida coach Dan Mullen returns to Starkville for the first time after coaching Mississippi State for 9 years. He was 9-5 ATS as a road underdog in the last 5 years, and this is his first road underdog spot at Florida.
-Mississippi State lost by 21 last week at Kentucky as a 10-point favorite. But the Bulldogs are still 3-1 ATS. Can new head coach Joe Moorhead pull his team together after a disastrous performance Saturday?
-Is Kentucky still underrated? After beating Florida and Mississippi State outright as double-digit underdogs, the Wildcats opened pick'em vs. South Carolina. Bettors immediately hit the Gamecocks, who are now a 2-point road favorite.
-Tennessee State at Vanderbilt (4 p.m. ET) does not have a posted line. FBS vs. FCS games usually are posted on Saturdays. Missouri has a bye week.