As the 2022-2023 men’s college basketball regular season approaches its end, teams in the Southeastern Conference begin to turn their focus toward the 2023 SEC Tournament. SEC men’s basketball programs will battle one another to earn the conference’s automatic bid to the NCAA tournament and improve their resume ahead of Selection Sunday on March 12. Despite the Alabama Crimson Tide’s dominant regular season, there are many talented teams in the SEC, and they will all give their best effort to earn the coveted SEC title.
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2023 SEC Tournament Betting Odds
The Southeastern Conference is one of the top leagues in college basketball in 2023. Despite college basketball Blue Blood Kentucky not quite living up to expectations as of yet, other teams have stepped up and shown the nation that the SEC is a force to be reckoned with as we approach March Madness. Programs such as Alabama, Tennessee, and Texas A&M all look to cement themselves at the conference’s best after stellar performances throughout the regular season. Be sure to take advantage of one of the new player sportsbook promotions above before placing any SEC tournament bets.
Odds To Win the 2023 SEC Men’s Basketball Tournament
2022-2023 SEC men’s college basketball games will continue to be played through Saturday, March 4. Therefore, the conference tournaments odds are not available as of yet.
However, average projected seeds and odds for the 2023 Southeastern Conference Tournament (provided by TeamRankings) have been included below.
Team | Projected Seed | Chance To Win |
Alabama | 1 | 33.52% |
Texas A&M | 2 | 6.66% |
Kentucky | 3 | 11.91% |
Tennessee | 4 | 33.16% |
Missouri | 5 | 1.35% |
Vanderbilt | 6 | 0.62% |
Auburn | 7 | 4.29% |
Florida | 8 | 1.05% |
Arkansas | 9 | 5.98% |
Mississippi State | 10 | 1.30% |
Georgia | 11 | 0.02% |
South Carolina | 12 | 0.00% |
Ole Miss | 13 | 0.09% |
LSU | 14 | 0.05% |
Note: These projections were last updated on March 2, 2023.
Where is the 2023 SEC Tournament Taking Place?
The 2023 SEC Men’s Basketball Tournament will take place in Nashville, Tennessee at Bridgestone Arena for the eighth overall year. The 2023 SEC Tournament will last from Wednesday, March 8 to Sunday, March 12.
The Kentucky Wildcats won the SEC Tournament at Bridgestone Arena from 2015-2017 (and in 2010). However, Ole Miss, Auburn, and Alabama have also managed to win the conference tournament in Bridgestone Arena, dating back to 2013.
After a one-year break, in which the SEC Tournament was held at Amalie Arena in Tampa, Florida, the SEC Men’s Basketball Tournament will return north to Nashville and host the conference tournament once again to help determine the SEC men’s basketball champion.
2023 SEC Tournament Format and Schedule
The SEC Tournament is single elimination, and the seeding will be based on each team’s conference record in 2023. The top four seeds earn a double bye, which means they advance directly to the tournament’s quarterfinals. The 5-10 seeds earn a single bye, meaning they advance directly to Round 2 of the tournament. The bottom four seeds (11-14) will compete in the first round against one another to start the tournament on Wednesday, March 8.
The full schedule for the 2023 SEC Men’s Basketball Tournament is provided below.
Round | Matchup | Date/Time |
Round 1 | Game 1: 12 Seed vs 13 Seed Game 2: 11 Seed vs 14 Seed | Wednesday, March 8 – 7:00 p.m. Wednesday, March 8 – 9:00 p.m. |
Round 2 | Game 3: 8 Seed vs 9 Seed Game 4: 5 Seed vs Game 1 Winner Game 5: 7 Seed vs 10 Seed Game 6: 6 Seed vs Game 2 Winner | Thursday, March 9 – 1:00 p.m. Thursday, March 9 – 3:00 p.m. Thursday, March 9 – 7:00 p.m. Thursday, March 9 – 9:00 p.m. |
Quarterfinals | Game 7: 1 Seed vs Game 3 Winner Game 8: 4 Seed vs Game 4 Winner Game 9: 2 Seed vs Game 5 Winner Game 10: 3 Seed vs Game 6 Winner | Friday, March 10 – 1:00 p.m. Friday, March 10 – 3:00 p.m. Friday, March 10 – 7:00 p.m. Friday, March 10 – 9:00 p.m. |
Semifinals | Game 11: Game 7 Winner vs Game 8 Winner Game 12: Game 9 Winner vs Game 10 Winner | Saturday, March 11 – 1:00 p.m. Saturday, March 11 – 3:00 p.m. |
Championship | Game 13: Game 11 Winner vs Game 12 Winner | Sunday, March 12 – 1:00 p.m. |
Note: All times are Eastern Standard Time (EST) and may be subject to change.
TV Coverage
- Round 1 – SEC Network
- Round 2 – SEC Network
- Quarterfinals – ESPN/SEC Network
- Semifinals – ESPN
- Championship – ESPN
SEC Teams To Watch
Although the Crimson Tide have already earned the top seed in the 2023 SEC Tournament, plenty of other talented squads will look to make some noise in the conference tournament beginning on March 8. The Southeastern Conference is one of the deepest leagues in all of college basketball, and quite a few teams believe themselves to be more than capable of winning the hardware on Sunday afternoon in Nashville, Tennessee.
Here are some of the top teams to watch as we approach the postseason:
Alabama Crimson Tide
Alabama was named the nation’s top overall seed on February 18 as a part of the NCAA’s Top 16 reveal. They have already earned nine Quadrant 1 wins this season, including victories over quality opponents like Houston, Michigan State, Arkansas (twice), and Kentucky. Their only losses have come to UConn, Tennessee, Gonzaga, and Oklahoma.
With the help of freshman Brandon Miller and junior Mark Sears, the Crimson Tide lead the Southeastern Conference in points per game, rebounds per game, and three-pointers made. Alabama is also fourth in the conference in assists, field goal percentage, and free-throw percentage. They are now seeking their second SEC Tournament Championship in three years.
Tennessee Volunteers
The Tennessee Volunteers have struggled down the stretch as they approach the end of the 2022-2023 regular season. However, their overall body of work has been impressive, and they remain one of the top teams in the conference. They already own wins against Alabama, Kansas, Texas, and Maryland. And most of their losses have come against quality opponents like Arizona, Kentucky (twice), and Texas A&M.
The Volunteers lead the SEC in assists, are second in rebounds, and are third in steals. They also have four players (Santiago Vescovi, Zakai Zeigler, Olivier Nkamhoua, and Josiah-Jordan James) averaging 10.0 points per game or more.
All things considered, the Tennessee Volunteers are still one of the most dangerous teams in the league and capable of making a big run in both the SEC Tournament and NCAA Tournament this year. After an impressive run in 2022, Tennessee will now look to win back-to-back conference tournament championships for the first time in program history.
Texas A&M Aggies
The Texas A&M Aggies are on track to make their first NCAA Tournament appearance since the 2017-2018 season. After a slow start to the season, Head Coach Buzz Williams has led the Aggies to key victories over Tennessee, Missouri (twice), Arkansas, and Auburn (twice).
The Aggies lead the SEC in free throws made and free throw percentage. They are also fifth in points per game, field goal percentage, and three-point percentage. With the help of guards Wade Taylor IV and Tyrece Radford, Texas A&M will hope to secure their first SEC Tournament Championship since they joined the league in 2012.
Kentucky Wildcats
After beginning the season in the NCAA’s preseason top 5, the Kentucky Wildcats have fallen down the rankings and struggled for the majority of the 2022-2023 regular season. They have suffered embarrassing losses to South Carolina and Georgia and have lost by double-digits to Gonzaga, UCLA, Arkansas, Alabama, and Missouri.
However, they have found their way recently and earned victories over Tennessee (twice), Texas A&M, Mississippi State, and Auburn. The Wildcats seem to have secured a spot in the 2023 NCAA Tournament and are looking to earn a higher seed with some success in their conference tournament. The University of Kentucky is now seeking its fifth SEC Tournament Championship since 2015.
Arkansas Razorbacks
The Arkansas Razorbacks are another contender for the 2023 SEC Tournament Championship. They have earned regular season wins against Missouri, Texas A&M, and Kentucky. In addition, they have played close with quality teams like Baylor and Alabama on the road.
The Razorbacks have five players averaging over 10.0 points (Ricky Council IV, Nick Smith Jr., Anthony Black, Trevon Brazile, and Davonte Davis), and they lead the SEC in field goal percentage and are third in both points per game and blocks per game.
The Arkansas Razorbacks will look to earn their first SEC Tournament Championship since 2000.
2023 SEC Tournament Best Bets
The 2023 SEC Tournament is certain to be full of surprises and excitement. All but two of the SEC men’s basketball programs finished with a winning record at home this season. As a result, it is clear that home teams have had a significant advantage during both their nonconference and SEC games during the 2022-2023 season. The 2023 SEC Tournament, which is held at a neutral site for the entire tournament, will certainly help the conference’s best teams rise above the rest.
See below for the tournament’s best bets, which include the top choice, best value, and sleeper pick from among the 14 SEC men’s basketball programs set to compete!
Top Choice: Alabama
Alabama is the obvious choice to claim the SEC Tournament title on March 12. They have dominated the competition this season in both their nonconference schedule and in SEC play.
The Crimson Tide are undefeated at home this season, and they have already earned nine Quadrant 1 wins throughout the 2022-2023 season. Although the payout will not necessarily be huge when betting on the Crimson Tide to take care of business in Nashville, it is still very likely to be the smart choice given the way they have performed against SEC teams over the past few months.
Best Value: Tennessee
Although the Tennessee Volunteers have already dropped five games in the month of February, they are still one of the most talented teams in the conference. Their resume is among the best in college basketball this season, as it includes wins against Alabama, Kansas, and Texas.
Given their recent performances, the Volunteers could very easily get upset in their first game of the SEC Tournament. However, they have already shown that they are more than capable of competing with the best of the best and will likely be very determined to show the rest of the country that they have what it takes to show up when it matters most.
As a result, Tennessee seems to have a great chance of winning its second straight SEC Tournament Championship.
Sleeper Pick: Kentucky
After a slow start to the 2022-2023 season and spending the majority of the year on the NCAA Tournament bubble, the Kentucky Wildcats seem to have gotten their act together as they approach the most important part of the year.
The Wildcats appear to have secured a spot in the 2023 NCAA Tournament, but after beginning the season as one of the favorites to win this year’s national championship, they are very aware that they still have much to prove to their fans and the rest of the nation.
Throughout the history of the Southeastern Conference, Kentucky has won more SEC Tournament Championships than all other teams combined. And despite some poor performances this season, they remain a solid pick to win the 2023 SEC Tournament and cut down the nets at Bridgestone Arena on March 12.
SEC Tournament History
The SEC men’s basketball tournament began in the early 20th century and has run from 1933-1934, 1936-1952, and 1979-present. The Kentucky Wildcats have won by far the most SEC Tournament Championships with 32, and the Alabama Crimson Tide sit in second place with seven conference tournament championships over the years.
The Tennessee Volunteers have won five Southeastern Conference Tournaments, including last year’s SEC Championship, and the Florida Gators sit in fourth place with four conference championships won overall. After impressive regular seasons, the Texas A&M Aggies and Missouri Tigers will be seeking their first SEC Tournament Championship since joining the conference in 2012.
In addition, the Mississippi State Bulldogs are hoping to win their first conference tournament since 2009, the Auburn Tigers are looking for their first SEC title since 2019, and the Vanderbilt Commodores will seek their first SEC Tournament Championship since 2012.
The 2023 SEC Tournament will certainly be exciting, with 14 teams set to face off with the hope of being crowned the conference’s top team.