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OddsShark has released opening lines for most of the 2016 bowl games, and the Southeastern Conference is favored to win four of the ten games for which lines have been released.
Mississippi State, perhaps surprisingly, opened as an 11.5-point favorite against Miami (Ohio) in the St. Petersburg Bowl, and that line has already moved to 13 points. While the Bulldogs are in a bowl game in spite of a 5-7 record, that’s likely a reflection on a weak Redhawks team; the Redhawks are just the 103rd-best team in the country per Jeff Sagarin.
Vanderbilt opened as a 4-point underdog against NC State in the Independence Bowl, and the line has moved a point in Vanderbilt’s favor since opening. The Commodores narrowly became bowl-eligible thanks to a late charge, but they’re 4-5 straight up as an underdog this season.
In the Texas Bowl on December 28, Texas A&M opens as a 2.5-point favorite over Kansas State. Both teams come into the bowl matchup at 8-4, though the Aggies are playing a virtual home game in Houston.
The SEC team is an underdog in two bowl games to be played on December 29. South Carolina opened as an 11-point underdog against a 10-2 South Florida team in the Birmingham Bowl, though the line has moved a point in the Gamecocks’ favor. Arkansas opens as a 6-point underdog against Virginia Tech in the Belk Bowl.
Georgia opened as a 1.5-point underdog against TCU in the Liberty Bowl on December 30, though the line has moved in the Bulldogs’ favor; they’re now a 1.5-point favorite. Later that same day, Tennessee plays Nebraska in the Music City Bowl, and the Vols open as a 3-point favorite over the 9-3 Cornhuskers.
On December 31, LSU meets Louisville in the Citrus Bowl, and the line is a pick ‘em: neither team is favored to win. Kentucky meets Georgia Tech in the TaxSlayer Bowl, and no line has been released (it’s not clear why.) Alabama opened as a 14-point favorite over Washington in the Peach Bowl, and some outlets have moved that line as high as 16.5 points already.
Florida meets Iowa in the Outback Bowl on January 2. No line has been released on the game, likely due to the unclear status of Gator QB Luke Del Rio. Finally, Auburn opened as a 5.5-point underdog against Oklahoma in the Sugar Bowl; the line has moved to 5 or even 4.5 points at some outlets.