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Auburn Tigers Football 2020 Betting Preview

What are the odds that the Auburn Tigers win their division, the SEC and/or the National Championship in 2020? We break it all down and tell you the best bets.

Frankie Taddeo

Auburn once again couldn’t meet lofty expectations after posting an overall 9-4 SU record in 2019. There is once again immense pressure on head coach Guz Malzahn thanks to the Tigers’ inability to compete with in-state rival Alabama over the past decade. In that time span, War Eagle has only been able to add two SEC West trophies to their school trophy case, while the Crimson Tide has taken home the honor eight times. In the grand scheme of things, Nick Saban and Alabama have garnered six national championships since 2010, while Auburn has only been able to record one.

According to PointsBet, Auburn’s season win total projection stands at 8.5 wins, heavily juiced at odds of -195 to the over.

2020 Auburn Tigers Win Total Odds

Odds courtesy of PointsBet

2020 Auburn Tigers Schedule

Week 1 - Sept. 5 vs Alcorn State

Week 2 - Sept. 12 vs North Carolina (Mercedes-Benz Stadium, Atlanta, GA)

Week 3 - Sept. 19 at Ole Miss

Week 4 - Sept. 26 vs Southern Mississippi

Week 5 - Oct. 3 vs Kentucky

Week 6 - Oct. 10 at Georgia

Week 7 - Oct. 17 vs Texas A&M

Week 8 - BYE

Week 9 - Oct. 31 at Mississippi State

Week 10 - Nov. 7 vs Arkansas

Week 11 - Nov. 14 vs UMASS

Week 12 - Nov. 21 vs LSU

Week 13 - Nov. 28 at Alabama

Auburn will have it easy in their season opener when they take on FCS opponent Alcorn State. The oddsmakers have them listed as a near full-touchdown favorite in their neutral site game against the North Carolina Tar Heels at Mercedes-Benz Stadium in Atlanta. North Carolina enjoyed a resurgence in Mack Brown's first season back as a head coach, finishing with a 7-6 SU record, but are listed as 6.5-point underdogs to the Tigers in Week 2. 

War Eagle will go on the road once again in Week 3 when they will take on Ole Miss with an early line of the Tigers as 9.5-point road favorites. Auburn returns home to Jordan-Hare Stadium in Week 4 and should have no issue with the Southern Mississippi Golden Eagles, who were thumped in both of their SEC games last season against Mississippi State (38-15) and Alabama (49-7).

The Tigers are once again heavy favorites in Week 5, as early odds have them listed as 14.5-point home favorites versus Kentucky. The Wildcats were one of the surprise teams during the 2019 college football season posting a 9-4 SU record so this could be closer than the oddsmakers are predicting.

Auburn finds itself as an underdog for the first time in 2020 in Week 6, when they travel to Athens to take on the Georgia Bulldogs (-7.5). After the tough matchup with Georgia, the Tigers will head back home to face Texas A&M. The oddsmakers are predicting a close game with Auburn only being listed as 3.5-point home favorites versus an Aggies team that could surprise some people in 2020.

The last two games of the regular season are as hard as they come. The oddsmakers have installed the Tigers as 1-point home underdogs versus the defending national champion LSU Tigers and as 14.5-point road ‘dogs against the Alabama to close out the year in the Iron Bowl.

Auburn Odds to Win SEC West in 2020

Odds courtesy of PointsBet
Odds courtesy of PointsBet

Auburn is listed as the third betting choice (+550) to win the SEC West. Alabama is a prohibitive favorite in this market at odds of -175, with the defending national champion LSU Tigers slotting in as the second choice at odds of +325.

Auburn Tigers Odds to Win Southeastern Conference

Odds courtesy of DraftKing Sportsbook
Odds courtesy of DraftKing Sportsbook

With projections that envision a potential three- or four-loss regular season, the sportsbooks are offering Auburn as the fifth overall betting choice in this market at odds of 14/1 to emerge as SEC Champions for the first time since 2011. All bettors who believe in Auburn to win the SEC Championship Game will see a return of $1400 on every $100 wagered.

Odds for Auburn Players to Win 2020 Heisman Trophy

As we have previously highlighted here at SI Gambling, Auburn currently has only one player listed in the Heisman Trophy odds at William Hill: quarterback Bo Nix (30/1). Auburn University has had three Heisman winners in school history: quarterback Pat Sullivan in 1971, running back Bo Jackson in 1985 and most recently quarterback Cam Newton in 2010.

Auburn Tigers Odds to Win 2020-21 College Football Playoff

Odds courtesy of DraftKings Sportsbook
Odds courtesy of DraftKings Sportsbook

After a deeper dive, the oddsmakers have the Tigers listed as underdogs in three games (at Georgia, vs. LSU, at Alabama) and it's fair to surmise that the last two games could very well determine the winner of the SEC West . I landed on a projection of a 10-2 SU regular season. The odds of 50/1 for Auburn to win the College Football Playoff offers value, but I can not recommend a play on War Eagle due to the strength of Clemson and Ohio State.

Of all of the available Auburn betting markets on the board, there is solid value on the Tigers emerging with no less than 9 wins. That makes a season win total market, which is set at 8.5 juiced to the over at odds of -195, a wager for me. I project that the Tigers will get off to a 5-0 start before they head to Athens to face Georgia. If Auburn can find a way to get Week 12 against LSU with an 8-2 record at worst, they would need to find a way to split their two last two games (LSU and Alabama) to cash the wager. If the Tigers find a way to get by Texas A&M (a game they are 3.5-point favorites) they could be sitting at perhaps 10-1 if they can get by LSU at home before they travel to Tuscaloosa for the Iron Bowl.

Quarterback Bo Nix and star wide receiver Seth Williams have the potential to become one of the top duos in college football in 2020. That makes the odds of 14/1 to win the SEC Championship as well as 30/1 in the Heisman Trophy market hard to dismiss on a potential 11-1 or 10-2 regular season.

The Plays: OVER 8.5 regular season wins (-195)

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Frankie Taddeo
FRANKIE TADDEO

Frankie Taddeo is a successful high-stakes fantasy football player who created the first-ever DFS program offered in a Las Vegas sportsbook. Besides contributing NFL fantasy analysis with a Vegas slant, Frankie primarily performs as Sports Illustrated's Senior Betting Analyst providing his significant experience and resources in the sports betting scene. 

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