SEC Tournament Picks, Best Bets, Odds & How to Watch
By Victor Williams in College Basketball
Published:
- The 2026 SEC Tournament gets underway on Wednesday
- Regular-season champion Florida claims the No. 1 seed
- See the 2026 SEC Tournament odds, seeds, bracket, and full tournament preview below
The 2026 SEC tournament has finally arrived, with the action tipping off at 12:30 PM ET on SEC Network.
Florida, the reigning SEC Tournament champions, enters as the No. 1 seed after winning the regular season title. Our deep-dive analysis breaks down the key angles for this matchup.
2026 SEC Tournament Odds
The Gators are attempting to join Duke, Michigan, and Arizona as No. 1 seeds on Selection Sunday. The tournament begins with a four-game slate on Wednesday, headlined by No. 16 LSU and No. 9 Kentucky.
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SEC Tournament Bracket and Schedule
Wednesday, March 11 | First Round
- Game 1: No. 16 LSU vs. No. 9 Kentucky,12:30 p.m., SEC Network
- Game 2: No. 13 Mississippi State vs. No. 12 Auburn, 3 p.m., SEC Network
- Game 3: No. 15 Ole Miss vs. No. 10 Texas, 7 p.m., SEC Network
- Game 4: No. 14 South Carolina vs. No. 11 Oklahoma, 9:30 p.m., SEC Network
Thursday, March 12 | Second Round
- Game 5: G1 winner vs. No. 8 Missouri, 12:30 p.m., SEC Network
- Game 6: G2 winner vs. No. 5 Tennessee, 3 p.m., SEC Network
- Game 7: G3 winner vs. No. 7 Georgia, 7 p.m., SEC Network
- Game 8: G4 winner vs. No. 6 Texas A&M, 9:30 p.m., SEC Network
Friday, March 13 | Quarterfinals
- Game 9: G5 winner vs. No. 1 Florida, 1 p.m., ESPN
- Game 10: G6 winner vs. No. 4 Vanderbilt, 3:30 p.m., ESPN
- Game 11: G7 winner vs. No. 2 Alabama, 7 p.m., SEC Network
- Game 12: G8 winner vs. No. 3 Arkansas, 9:30 p.m., SEC Network
Saturday, March 14 | Semifinals
- Game 13: G9 winner vs. G10 winner, 1 p.m., ESPN
- Game 14: G11 winner vs. G12 winner, 3:30 p.m., ESPN
Sunday, March 15 | Championship
- Game 15: G13 winner vs. G14 winner, 1 p.m., ESPN
Teams to Look Out for in SEC Tournament
The Vols landed the No.5 seed and will play the winner of Wednesday’s game between No. 12 Auburn and No. 13 Mississippi State.
Tennessee’s road through the bracket won’t be simple. Rick Barnes’ team could meet 4-seed Vanderbilt in the quarterfinals, with a probable semifinal matchup against top-seeded Florida. Tennessee and Vanderbilt split their regular-season meetings, while Florida handed the Vols a lopsided loss earlier in conference play in Gainesville. Tennessee lost the title game to Florida last year.
Should Tennessee survive the first three rounds and advance to Sunday’s title game, a showdown could await with either the 2-seed Alabama, 3-seed Arkansas, or 6-seed Texas A&M.
Alabama gets their first matchup in the quarterfinal round. The Crimson Tide leads the nation in scoring (92.1 PPG), with star guard Labaron Philon Jr. leading the charge. When Alabama is on, they can keep up with any team. Alabama ended the regular season with a double-digit win over Auburn, in which Philon recorded his 18th game of 20+ points this season.
2026 SEC Tournament Prediction
As talented as this bracket is, Florida is a different beast. They are winners of 11 straight, averaging a 21.7-point win margin. Having earned the double-bye, Florida will only need three wins to secure the title. Anchored by one of the most dominant frontcourts in college basketball, the Gators figure to be a tough matchup for any opponent once the postseason begins.
Tournament Futures Payout Calculation
For bettors assessing the risk-reward ratio on a standard $20 wager:
- Betting Florida (-175): Returns a profit of $11.43 (Total Payout: $31.43)
- Betting Arkansas (+600): Returns a profit of $120.00 (Total Payout: $140.00)
- Betting Alabama (+700): Returns a profit of $140.00 (Total Payout: $160.00)
- Betting Vanderbilt (+950): Returns a profit of $190.00 (Total Payout: $210.00)
- Betting Tennessee (+1200): Returns a profit of $240.00 (Total Payout: $260.00)
- Betting Texas A&M (+4000): Returns a profit of $800.00 (Total Payout: $820.00)
- Betting Kentucky (+4000): Returns a profit of $800.00 (Total Payout: $820.00)
- Betting Texas (+6000): Returns a profit of $1,200.00 (Total Payout: $1,220.00)