Auburn Given -200 Odds to Be Last Remaining Unbeaten; San Diego State +150 Despite Easier Schedule

• The #5 Auburn Tigers (13-0, 1-0 SEC) have -200 odds to be the last remaining unbeaten team in college basketball
• #7 San Diego State (15-0, 4-0 MW) has +150 odds, despite an easier remaining schedule than the Tigers
• The odds are surprising, considering Auburn’s tougher upcoming schedule

As conference play gets underway, the #5 Auburn Tigers (13-0, 1-0) are -200 favorites to be the last remaining unbeaten team in the nation.

It will be a tough task to remain undefeated in the SEC, and with #7 San Diego State (15-0, 4-0) listed as +150 underdogs despite a weaker schedule, this was certainly a surprising number to see.

Odds to Be Last Remaining Unbeaten Team in NCAA

Odds taken Jan 6th

Long Championship Odds for the Unbeatens

Both Auburn and San Diego State are undefeated and continuing to play great basketball, but each still has fairly long odds to bring home a championship come March.

Both the Tigers and Aztecs are listed at +3300 odds in the NCAA Tournament Championship Odds, despite being the only two teams in the Top 25 without a blemish on their record.

The biggest mark against each team, and probably the reason for the long odds, is each teams’ strength of schedule at this point. The Aztecs’ slate is just the 46th toughest in the nation, while Auburn’s is only 53rd.

Teams ahead of these two in the odds have seen losses, but they’ve also displayed their talents against a tougher level of competition.

The Tigers and Aztecs are exciting teams, but they haven’t seen opponents nearly as tough as Kansas (1st toughest SOS), Duke (2nd), Michigan State (4th), and Ohio State (7th).

Can Tigers Go Undefeated in SEC Play?

The Tigers have been strong on both ends of the floor to start the year. Samir Doughty has led them offensively, averaging 16.3 points, 2.6 assists, and 4 rebounds per game.

On the other end, they’ve made every possession a tough one for opposing offenses. Auburn is blocking 6.4 shots per game, with Anfernee McLemore and Austin Wiley combining to account for 3.6 of those rejections.

A year ago, the SEC was looking like the next great conference in the sport. Now, it appears it has taken a bit of a step back. Teams that played well last season or had high expectations this year, like Tennessee, Florida, and LSU, have gotten off to rocky starts. However, getting through this season without a misstep is still going to be a tall task on the plains.

Most of the conference slate remains, and the Tigers still have a home-and-away game remaining with #14 Kentucky, arch-rival Alabama, talented Florida, and the 12-1 Arkansas Razorbacks. Auburn is a great team, but at least one bump in the road is still very likely.

Is San Diego State an Automatic Bet at This Number?

As mentioned prior, the Aztecs schedule is actually tougher as a whole than Auburn’s. However, it’s important to keep in mind that this prop is not about which team is undefeated all year, but simply who will be the last unbeaten left. It comes down to who loses first, and in the coming stretch of games, that threat is higher on the plains.

According to barttorvik.com, the upcoming five game slate is much tougher for Auburn. Their next five opponents have an average power ranking of 76th in the country, including Vanderbilt (116th), Georgia (83rd), Alabama (50th), Florida (26th), and South Carolina (106th).

The Aztecs, meanwhile, will face a group of teams that averages a power ranking of 191st in the nation. San Diego State will meet Wyoming twice (315th), Boise State (126th), Fresno State (137th), and Nevada (62nd).

At +150 against Auburn’s -200 odds, the value in backing San Diego State to be the final unbeaten left in the nation is tremendous.