SEC Basketball Tournament: Schedule, Odds, Predictions

In 2024, the SEC is set to be the second-best represented Division I conference in men’s college basketball. That runs from potential No. 1 seed Tennessee all the way down to fringe at-large teams like Mississippi State. 

Indeed, the SEC has evolved into a deep and competitive basketball conference, making it one of the most interesting NCAA conference basketball tournaments to watch.

Even better: The BetMGM online sportsbook has single-game odds and futures markets available for bettors locked in for the coming days of high-stakes SEC basketball.

SEC Tournament Schedule

The SEC men’s basketball tournament runs March 13-17 at Bridgestone Arena in Nashville, Tennessee.

• Game 1: No. 12 Arkansas vs. No. 13 Vanderbilt (March 13)
• Game 2: No. 11 Georgia vs. No. 14 Missouri (March 13)
• Game 3: No. 8 LSU vs. No. 9 Mississippi State (March 14)
• Game 4: No. 5 South Carolina vs. Game 1 Winner (March 14)
• Game 5: No. 7 Texas A&M vs. No. 10 Ole Miss (March 14)
• Game 6: No. 6 Florida vs. Game 2 Winner (March 14)
• Game 7: No. 1 Tennessee vs. Game 3 Winner (March 15)
• Game 8: No. 4 Auburn Game 4 Winner (March 15)
• Game 9: No. 2 Kentucky vs. Game 5 Winner (March 15)
• Game 10: No. 3 Alabama vs. Game 6 Winner (March 15)
• Game 11: Game 7 Winner vs. Game 8 Winner (March 16)
• Game 12: Game 9 Winner vs. Game 10 Winner (March 16)
• Game 13: Game 11 Winner vs. Game 12 Winner (March 17)

SEC Tournament Odds

SEC Tournament Prediction

Tennessee (+160) will win the SEC men’s basketball and earn the automatic bid to the NCAA Tournament.

The Vols won the regular season on the back of a critical seven-game winning streak that stretched from Feb. 14 through March 6 and included road wins at Alabama and South Carolina. They’ll enjoy some degree of home field advantage with a conference tournament in Nashville.

Here are a few other notes to consider:

Can Nate Oats Do It Again?

Alabama has won two of the last three SEC Tournaments, and there are three key reasons. One is that Nate Oats is a great coach. Another is that Alabama’s 3-point-centered philosophy is supported by analytics and in step with modern basketball. And having Brandon Miller in 2023 sure didn’t hurt. 

Alabama’s team isn’t quite as good this year, but Oats is still pulling the strings in Tuscaloosa. The final weeks of the season looked a little rough, and I think the Tide should be on an early upset alert in next week’s NCAA Tournament. But conference tournaments can provide an outlet to struggling teams that need a reset, and this week’s trip to Nashville could be just that.

Oats is among the best head men in a conference loaded with accomplished coaches. Can he make it three SEC Tournament championships in four years?

Trouble in Mississippi

Both Ole Miss and Mississippi State spent some time in the AP Poll this year, but the stretch run was not kind to either program. 

Mississippi State ended the regular season with a four-game skid, playing itself back onto the bubble. 

Ole Miss, for its part, hasn’t beaten a team other than last-place Missouri since January. It’s no longer even a flat bubble team and will miss the NCAA Tournament completely. 

The Rebels probably don’t have a path to the autobid without total chaos. MSU could use a win or two to shore up its tournament position; a loss, coupled with some bid steals and strong performances from other bubble teams, could hypothetically put the Bulldogs in danger. 

While a complete slide out of the tournament field is probably unlikely at this point, they could realistically find themselves in Dayton next week if they’re one and done in Nashville. 

Conference Tournament Previews & Predictions