NBA Postseason Best Bets (5/17)
Alex Christenson
The college basketball season is less than three weeks away, and here at FTN Bets we have you covered for what promises to be another thrilling year of upsets and incredible finishes. I will be taking you around the country with a betting preview of the major conferences. I recap the betting trends from last season, list projected starters, preview the season, identify a key player, and reveal how I’m backing or fading each team.
Let’s continue our preview with the SEC. Always one of my favorite conferences, the SEC has grown to be one of the most competitive conferences from top to bottom. While Kentucky has the national name-brand recognition, teams such as Tennessee, Alabama, Arkansas, Auburn and Florida also combine massive fan bases and sustained success. There are 14 teams in the SEC, and all teams are competitive on a nightly basis. The SEC is currently ranked as the second-best overall conference in preseason ranking by KenPom. It is an exciting conference, with elite players and fantastic coaches.
Let’s continue with our betting preview for the Auburn Tigers.
2023-2024 Auburn Tigers Betting Preview
Conference: SEC
Head Coach: Bruce Pearl (10th season)
2022-2023 Record: 21-13 (10-8)
ATS: 16-18
O/U: 21-13
Projected Starters: G Aden Holloway; G Denver Jones; G Chad Baker-Mazara; F Jaylin Williams; F Johni Broome
Auburn is always a tough out. The Tigers entered last year having won the SEC regular season or tournament championship in three of the previous five seasons. Despite lurking in the shadows of Kentucky and Tennessee, head coach Bruce Pearl’s run has been superb since joining Auburn in 2014-2015. However, last year was their first disappointment, finishing seventh after ranking fourth in the SEC preseason poll. The Tigers lost point guard Wendell Green but were buoyed by the surprising return of Johni Broome and Jaylin Wiliams. The Tigers return 58.1% of their minutes from last season and add five-star point guard Aden Holloway along with FIU transfer Denver Jones, who averaged over 20 PPG for the Panthers while shooting over 37% from 3P range.
Key Player: Johni Broome
Returning from testing NBA draft waters, Broome returns as one of the finest rim protectors in the nation. He is the perfect complement behind Auburn’s quick, shorter, risk-taking guards. Broome can rebound the ball on the offensive end, creating further opportunities for the Tigers explosive offense. Don’t be surprised to read Broome’s name on the SEC DPOY award this season coupled with another 25-plus win Tigers season.
Projection: Things didn’t gel offensively last year as Auburn generated most of their scoring from second-chance points. The Tigers shot a putrid 31.5% of 3P range and 69.6% from the free-throw line. Jones and Holloway should help that, with Broome elevating his game from second-team All-SEC status. I like this team, but the bellwether is the offensive production of Johnson and Jones. The range of outcomes there is extensive.
How I’m Betting Auburn: The interesting paradox is that despite this team being elite defensively, this team is 40-28 (58.8%) to the over the past two seasons. That number goes to 18-12 (60%) in nonconference games during that time, including a superb 10-5 (67%) last season. I’m attacking the over on Auburn early in the year, with an eye on the spread for a Tigers team I expect to be much improved.
