Media by Associated Press – Mississippi running back Zach Evans (6) carries the ball and dives over Auburn cornerback Keionte Scott (6) during the first half of an NCAA college football game against Mississippi in Oxford, Miss., Saturday, Oct. 15, 2022. Mississippi won 48-34. (AP Photo/Rogelio V. Solis)
The first weekend of November is a massive week in the SEC, with the top two teams in both divisions facing off this weekend. The big games in the Big Ten are later this month, while the ACC divisions have the least amount of drama among the big three conferences.
Let’s take a look at the current betting odds to win the ACC, Big Ten, and SEC, each of which has a conference championship game on the first weekend of December.
SEC
We will have a much clearer picture of the path to Atlanta and the SEC Championship Game on Saturday night. No. 1 Tennessee heads to No. 3 Georgia Saturday afternoon, and the winner takes a stranglehold on the East. Saturday night, No. 7 Alabama heads to No. 10 LSU in a West division battle, with No. 11 Ole Miss enjoying a bye week.
Whoever wins in Georgia would have to lose twice down the stretch in conference play for the winner to win the division. That doesn’t seem likely, with Tennessee facing Missouri, South Carolina, and Vanderbilt while Georgia plays Mississippi State and Kentucky. Heading into Saturday’s showdown, Georgia is +115 to win the SEC, while Tennessee is +400.
In the West, Alabama, LSU, and Ole Miss are all 4-1. LSU beat Ole Miss two weeks ago, and the Rebels host Alabama next weekend after their bye week.
Alabama would wrap up the West by beating both teams in the next ten days, even with a late-season loss to Auburn. Alabama is +150 to win the SEC, while LSU is +2500, and Ole Miss is +5000.
LSU has trips remaining to Arkansas and Texas A&M but would be in the driver’s seat with a win on Saturday. Keep in mind, though, the Tigers already lost, at home, to Tennessee this season 40-13 and don’t match up well with Georgia either.
Big Ten
November is a big month for both divisions of the Big Ten, but this week’s games are rather lackluster. Heading into November, No. 2 Ohio State has the best odds to win the conference at -425, with their rivals No. 5 Michigan at +400. In the West, No. 16 Illinois, a surprise team all season, is +1000, while Purdue is +3000.
Ohio State and Michigan appear headed for another showdown on the Saturday after Thanksgiving. The Buckeyes face Northwestern, Indiana, and Maryland before welcoming the Wolverines to Columbus.
Michigan has it a bit harder with a home game against Illinois the week before going to Ohio, but they also face Rutgers and Nebraska the next two weeks. Simply put, whoever wins in Columbus on Nov. 26 wins the East and will be a large favorite in the Big Ten Championship Game.
At 4-1 in the conference, Illinois leads the West by one game over 3-2 Purdue. Those teams play in Champaign next weekend, and the Illini could deliver a knockout punch with a win.
They could afford a loss to Michigan in that scenario, while Purdue must beat Iowa this weekend to avoid falling into the 3-loss tie with the Hawkeyes, Wisconsin, and the winner of Minnesota/Nebraska.
ACC
The ACC is the most cut-and-dry of the top conferences heading into November. With wins over Syracuse and Wake Forest, No. 4 Clemson controls the Atlantic Division, and their odds to win the ACC title are -600.
The Tigers only have two conference games left, and they would have to lose to both 5-3 Louisville and 4-4 Miami at home, while No. 20 Syracuse goes 4-0 to win the Atlantic.
On the Coastal side, No. 17 North Carolina has a two-game lead over both Duke and Miami, and they have head-to-head wins over both teams. The Tar Heels could clinch the division this weekend with a win over Virginia and losses from both Duke and Miami. North Carolina is +4000 to win the ACC title and would be big underdogs in the championship game to Clemson.
The only other team with realistic odds is Syracuse at +10000. To reach the ACC title game, they have to win out against Pittsburgh, Florida State, Wake Forest, and Boston College, while Clemson loses twice at home.
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