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Odds of SEC-Leading LSU Winning National Championship Are as Long as +7000; UK, Florida, Auburn All Shorter

Jordan Horrobin

by Jordan Horrobin in College Basketball

Updated Mar 31, 2021 · 12:35 PM PDT

Cameron Thomas and Trendon Watford converge on Alabama player in the paint and contest his shot
LSU guard Cameron Thomas (24) and LSU forward Trendon Watford (2) double team Alabama guard Jahvon Quinerly (13) during the second half of an NCAA college basketball game, Wednesday, Feb. 3, 2021, in Tuscaloosa, Ala. (AP Photo/Vasha Hunt)
  • No. 18 LSU is on a 10-game win streak and leads the SEC at 8-0
  • But there are still 26 teams ahead of the Tigers in title odds, including three SEC schools
  • Analysis and advice pertaining to LSU’s odds can be found below

The No. 18 LSU Tigers are on a heater right now, as winners of 10-straight games and owners of a two-game lead in the SEC standings. Hot streaks are important in college basketball, so understandably LSU (17-4, 8-0 SEC) is a team to look at right now.

In regard to their 2020 NCAA Tournament odds, the Tigers are still well down the list of contenders. Even within the SEC, there are three teams with shorter odds in the latest update.

2020 NCAA Tournament Odds: SEC Teams

Team Odds
Kentucky +2000
Auburn +3300
Florida +6000
LSU +7000
Mississippi State +10000
Tennessee +10000
Arkansas +12500
Alabama +15000
Georgia +15000
Ole Miss +20000
Missouri +20000

Odds taken Feb. 3.

LSU … Basketball School?

LSU is still on top of the college athletics world after Heisman Trophy-winner Joe Burrow led the football team to a national championship in January. But this recent tear by the basketball team has been impressive, too.

During their 10-game run, the Tigers have beaten seven top-100 teams, as rated by KenPom, which includes four teams in the top 50.

They boast an incredibly balanced lineup, with all five starters averaging double-digit points per game. As a team, LSU’s offensive efficiency is sixth at KenPom.

It might be a tad early to call LSU a basketball school, but the are no truly elite teams in college basketball this season.

By The Tip Of Its Tail

To be fair, LSU’s dazzling win streak and pristine conference record should have a disclaimer attached. The Tigers, while successful, have not been definitively dominant in recent games.

The middle-six games of their 10-game win streak were each decided by four or fewer points. Yes, some of those wins were against quality opponents, such as a two-point win over Florida or a one-point win over Mississippi State.

But in that same stretch, the Tigers needed overtime to beat Texas A&M (which is 10-10 with only two top-100 wins) and had to craft a comeback in the final minutes against Ole Miss (10-11, with eight losses in its past nine games).

So there’s reason to be cautious when considering LSU’s current hot streak.

The Road Ahead

Here’s the other thing: LSU hasn’t faced arguably its two toughest conference foes, Kentucky and Auburn.

LSU will face both teams in the coming weeks as the second half of conference play gets going. Those matchups will serve as a yardstick to see just how good the Tigers are against some of the SEC’s best.

Other KenPom top-50 teams remaining on LSU’s schedule are Arkansas, Alabama and Florida. LSU has already beaten all three of these teams — by a combined 18 points, mind you — so keep an eye out for the rematches.

Decision Time

There is a lot to like about LSU, given the current win streak and its position atop the SEC standings. But a handful of tight matchups (including some against mediocre opponents) should give bettors pause.

With that said, LSU has scoring depth and enough of a resume already to be in line for a nice seed in the NCAA Tournament. At +7000, the value of the Tigers is impressive.

Another SEC school to strongly consider is Auburn (+3300). They’re 19-2, they just beat Kentucky on Saturday and they have several returnees from the 2019 team that reached the Final Four.

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