SEC Tournament 2024 is right around the corner with March a few days away!

Entering Wednesday’s action, most of the SEC has 4 games left in the regular season while a handful of teams are down to just 3. All signs point to a dramatic conclusion to the regular season with a number of big-time matchups still to come ahead of March 9.

At the top, Tennessee and Alabama are tied in the SEC standings though the Vols currently hold the head-to-head edge. The two sides will face off one more time on March 2 with a key showdown in Tuscaloosa.

Behind those SEC leaders, South Carolina and Auburn lurk just one game out of the race. It all sets up as a mad dash to the finish with teams pushing for the regular-season title and a shot at a double bye for the SEC Tournament in Nashville. Fans can track the postseason odds and live North Carolina launch with SDS’s FanDuel NC links.

The top 4 seeds will all receive double byes, and here is a projection on how that field will shape up:

1. Alabama

Alabama most recently fell flat in ugly fashion on the road against Kentucky. That kind of performance understandably drew a lot of attention (though it’s worth wondering if the Wildcats will be able to replicate their own performance again), but it overshadowed what the rest of Alabama’s schedule looks like.

Yes, the Crimson Tide must face Tennessee again, but that matchup comes in Tuscaloosa. Alabama must also travel to face Florida on March 5, but those are the toughest games remaining for Nate Oats’ group, and the same cannot be said about Tennessee. (More on the Vols in a bit.)

A road trip to Ole Miss Wednesday night and a regular-season finale at home against Arkansas present great ways for Alabama to bounce back and finish out the season. If the Tide can beat the Vols, it likely guarantees at least a share of the SEC title while wins over Tennessee and Florida would make it tough for anyone to keep up with Alabama.

2. Tennessee

Tennessee is once again on a roll, rattling off 4 straight wins after getting upset by Texas A&M. Saturday’s blowout of A&M was the most impressive performance of that stretch with the level of competition not up to par. (The other wins came against the worst teams in the SEC: Arkansas, Vanderbilt and Mizzou.)

As for the rest of the schedule, the level of competition ahead paints a tough slate. All 4 of the remaining games for the Vols are against currently ranked teams, including a Wednesday night game at home against Auburn.

After that, the Vols travel to Tuscaloosa on Saturday for another game against Alabama. Tennessee previously beat the Tide 91-71 at home, but Saturday’s game will go a long way toward deciding the final SEC standings.

At South Carolina on March 6 and home vs. Kentucky in a regular-season finale are the other games left on the schedule, and expecting the Vols to run the table could be treacherous.

The Alabama game is certainly the most important as a regular-season sweep would give the Vols the head-to-head tie-breaker. Finishing the season 2-2 in the remaining games would be a win, but one of those needs to be against the Tide in order to win (or share) the league title.

3. Auburn

Auburn is not only approaching near-lock status to earn a double bye but the Tigers lurk in the shadows should Tennessee or Alabama stumble down the stretch. In fact, the Tigers get their chance to throw a massive wrench into the race Wednesday night.

Bruce Pearl’s squad heads to Knoxville for a 7 pm ET tip-off in a showdown that heavily favors the Vols but should not be taken lightly. Tennessee enters the game as a 7.5-point home favorite per ESPN Bet, though Auburn has been battle-tested in recent weeks with games vs. Alabama, at Florida, vs. South Carolina and vs. Kentucky.

An upset for the Tigers would throw all bets off for the SEC title outlook, but the rest of the season shapes up well even if Auburn loses Wednesday night.

Coming out of the trip to Tennessee, Auburn will face Mississippi State at home, Mizzou on the road and Georgia at home to end the season. That’s the kind of schedule that should allow Auburn to build some momentum heading into the postseason and the start of tournament play.

4. Kentucky

Don’t look now, but the Wildcats are rolling with recent results and the remaining schedule painting a positive picture for Kentucky’s shot at a double-bye. Even more good news includes Tuesday’s dramatic win.

With the Wildcats narrowly escaping Mississippi State with a win, Kentucky now has just 3 games left to play. They are still behind Auburn and South Carolina for the 4th seed in the SEC but matchups against Arkansas, Vanderbilt and Tennessee represent a golden opportunity.

Even if you project a loss to Tennessee in the finale, wins against Arkansas and Vanderbilt should have the Wildcats right where they need to be for the SEC Tournament. Track the latest odds for the end of the regular season and the start of the postseason with SDS’s sports betting in Kentucky links.

Next teams up: South Carolina, Florida

South Carolina remains one of the feel-good stories in the SEC and NCAA Tournament lock, but their shot at securing a top-4 seed is far from guaranteed.

To be fair, South Carolina sits just one game out of the SEC lead as things currently stand. Unfortunately, the remaining games are tough.

The Gamecocks begin that stretch with a Wednesday night game against suddenly sliding and March Madness bubble team Texas A&M. A loss would be disastrous, but a win would still leave South Carolina with matchups against Florida, Tennessee and Mississippi State to finish the season. Recent trends say another loss (or two) is likely for South Carolina.

As for Florida, a likely win against Missouri Wednesday night would pull the Gators even with Kentucky, but they must still face South Carolina and Alabama before getting Vanderbilt on March 9. Considering the schedules of the teams around them, it’s tough to see the Gators rising above the group to get the top-4 seed.