Flippo: Predictions and Betting Odds For Week 6 SEC Matchups
At the beginning of the season, many believed there was a huge gap between spots No. 1-No. 4and the rest of the country. Through the past two or three weeks of college football, many of the teams in the top four are starting to look 'human'.
Georgia escaped Columbia, Missouri with a close fourth quarter win against Mizzou. Alabama is talented, but Texas and Arkansas were able to put up points and have success against the Crimson Tide at times. Needless to say, there's a lot of questions for many teams as we continue through conference play.
As week six of college football edges closer, let's take a look at the current betting odds according to SI Sportsbook along with game predictions for the SEC week six matchups:
Arkansas at No. 23 Mississippi State (-8) (11:00 a.m., SEC Network)
The Bulldogs impressed in all aspects of football against No. 17 Texas A&M last Saturday -- scoring on offense, defense, and special teams. Arkansas is not short of talent with running back Raheim Sanders and quarterback KJ Jefferson. However, the status of Jefferson is still unclear, and even with Jefferson at the helm, the environment will be too much for the Razorbacks.
Prediction: Mississippi State 42, Arkansas 21
Missouri at Florida (-11) (11:00 a.m., fuboTV)
The matchup between the Gators and the Tigers is one of the more intriguing games of the week. Florida has proven it can compete with some of the top teams in the country -- with a win against No. 11 Utah and a close loss to No. 8 Tennessee. However, Mizzou just played No. 2 Georgia as tough as a team possibly could and came very close to toppling the Bulldogs. The Swamp is a hard place to play and Florida has too much talent -- including Gators quarterback Anthony Richardson.
Prediction: Florida 31, Missouri 24
No. 8 Tennessee (-3) at No. 25 LSU (11:00 a.m., ESPN)
Tennessee is one of the most talented teams in the country. Vols quarterback Hendon Hooker is a Heisman candidate, but you can never overlook the LSU Tigers. The Tigers have a talented signal-caller in their own right in Jayden Daniels, and the game is located in one of the most hostile environments in the country. Tiger Stadium will be rocking, but the Vols pull away late for a huge win in Death Valley.
Prediction: Tennessee 35, LSU 28
Auburn at No. 2 Georgia (-30) (2:30 p.m., CBS)
Kirby Smart and the Georgia Bulldogs came close to falling to the Missouri Tigers, and there seem to be holes in the Bulldogs' game. However, Georgia is still one of the top teams in the country. With a quarterback like Stetson Bennett at the helm, expect Georgia to dominate against an Auburn team who will likely see a change at the head coach position by the end of the season.
Prediction: Georgia 49, Auburn 10
No. 9 Ole Miss (-18) at Vanderbilt (3:00 p.m., SEC Network)
Ole Miss picked up a huge win against quarterback Will Levis and the Kentucky Wildcats. The Rebs have arguably the best pair of running backs in the conference in Zach Evans and Quinshon Judkins. Vanderbilt has a talented offense that has the ability to put up points. This has the possibility to scare Lane Kiffin and the Ole Miss Rebels, but Ole Miss has too much talent for the Commodores and should come out of Nashville still undefeated.
Prediction: Ole Miss 31, Vanderbilt 20
South Carolina at No. 13 Kentucky (-10) (6:30 pm., SEC Network)
The Kentucky Wildcats dropped a close road game against Ole Miss last Saturday. The offense, specifically the offensive line, played inconsistently which led to the Wildcats making mistakes against Lane Kiffin and the Rebs. If Kentucky can limit turnovers and mistakes, the Wildcats have the talent to be one of the top teams in the SEC. South Carolina has struggled at times protecting signal-caller Spencer Rattler. Kroger Field at night is a tough environment. Expect Kentucky to pull away and bounce back after the loss against Ole Miss.
Prediction: Kentucky 35, South Carolina 17
Texas A&M at No. 1 Alabama (-24.5) (7:00 p.m., CBS)
Let's face it, Jimbo Fisher and the Aggies have been one of the most disappointing teams in the country this season. At some point, something has to change at the helm. Coach Fisher needs to find an offensive coordinator or play-caller sooner rather than later. This isn't Florida State's 2014 team -- you are in the SEC in 2022. As long as Jimbo continues to place blame on his team and "not executing", it's going to be a long season for the Aggies.
Prediction: Alabama 49, Texas A&M 10