The SEC is the only major conference that will start the conference season this week, and there’s three games on tap that feature inner conference matchups.
Two of the games, Kentucky at South Carolina and LSU at Mississippi State, should be two of the bigger games during week 2. This week can’t get much better for the SEC, and many of the teams will have to cover big spreads once again to keep the win streak alive.
Last week: 9-4 ATS
Kentucky at South Carolina (-8)
Gamblers are stubborn. And with Kentucky, that’s what we’re going to be for at least the beginning of the year. The Wildcats started out strong last week, but faded and needed a late score to win.
South Carolina didn’t light the scoreboard on fire in its opening week win, but the Gamecocks faced an improved North Carolina team.
The Wildcats may not win this game, but it should stay within a touchdown. South Carolina is looking to improve upon a disappointing season last year, so focus shouldn’t be a problem. And with Kentucky, that offense is much improved. It’s the defense that could be a disappointment.
Expect the Wildcats to jump to an early lead and watch the Gamecocks battle back to make this a back-and-forth contest. In the end, Kentucky will cover. – Go against the chalk with Kentucky
LSU (-4) at Mississippi State
LSU’s game last week being canceled has made this game a bit tough to predict. We haven’t seen the Tigers yet this season, so we don’t know what to expect from the quarterback position, which has been the Achilles heel.
The Bulldogs were dominant in week 1, but we’re still not sold on the Bulldogs being as competitive as last season, especially with the amount of experience it lost last season.
The cowbells will be in full blast on Saturday, but LSU is just more talented than Mississippi State. It will be interesting to see if the week 1 bye will be a hinderence for the Tigers, but the talent should outweigh any rust incurred for the long layoff. – Go chalk with LSU
Other SEC games with a betting line
Odds provided by Oddsshark
Predictions in bold
Fresno State at Mississippi (-30)
Georgia (-21.5) at Vanderbilt
Toledo at Arkansas (-21)
Middle Tennessee at Alabama (-36)
Oklahoma at Tennessee (+2)
East Carolina at Florida (-21)
Missouri (-11) at Arkansas State
Ball State at Texas A&M (-30.5)
