Auburn Tigers Preview | Expert Predictions & Best Bets for 2024

Heading into Year 2 with head coach Hugh Freeze in charge, the Auburn Tigers are looking to take another step forward. Last season saw the program remain relatively stagnant, which typically isn’t a good sign when you’ve brought in a new head coach with Freeze’s experience. It’s been three consecutive losing seasons for the Tigers. Can Freeze end that streak and get the Tigers back over the .500 mark in 2024? 

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Auburn Tigers Preview

2023 Record: 6-7 (3-5); SEC Finish: 5th in SEC West

AP Poll: NA | Coaches Poll: NA | PFF: No. 37

Head Coach: Hugh Freeze 6-7 (3-5) | 2nd Season | Overall: 80-54

Defensive Coordinator: DJ Durkin | Offensive Coordinator: Derrick Nix

Auburn Tigers Futures Odds (FanDuel)

National Championship Odds: +15000 | CFB Playoff Odds: +700

SEC Championship Odds: +8000 | Regular Season Wins: OVER 7.5 +124 | UNDER 7.5 -152

Auburn Preview: Why You Should Be Bullish

With some key returning players on defense and the collective talent the Tigers boast on offense, there’s certainly reason to be excited about their prospects in 2024. With running back Jarquez Hunter paving the way, alongside highly coveted recruit true freshman Cam Coleman, the Tigers have some nice pieces on offense that could propel this program to put up some points. 

Auburn Preview: Why You Should Be Bearish

With the quarterback talent in the SEC, it’s pretty challenging to get excited about the passing skillset that Payton Thorne brings. Not only does Thorne have questionable passing ability, but he’s also dealing with a suspect offensive line, which could give him some trouble in the pocket. If Thorne’s forced to play on the run and make instinctual throws, it could be a long year for the Tigers. 

Breakout Player: WR Cam Coleman

To say that the expectations for Coleman are high in Year 1 would be an understatement. The former top-five recruit must make a difference right off the hop. Coleman is everything you want in a talented wideout. He brings the size, burst, and hands into the equation, making life easier for Thorne. If Coleman makes an immediate impact like we expect, this team could quietly make some noise in the SEC.

Auburn X-Factor: QB Payton Thorne

It’s no secret that we’re not exactly bullish on Thorne’s abilities as a passer. We’re not discounting his running ability, which he does at a high clip and effectively. Thorne will need to use his athletic frame to attack defenses over the middle of the field, which he can do effectively with play action. Whether the Tigers can pull off upsets in a loaded SEC likely comes down to Thorne’s efficiency at quarterback. 

Auburn Schedule Analysis

There are little gaps of tough stretches for the Auburn Tigers in 2024, but overall, it’s not the craziest schedule we’ll see in the SEC this year. The Tigers will host No.16 Oklahoma and No.20 Texas A&M, but they’ll be on the road for tough showdowns with No.1 Georgia, No.11 Missouri, and No.5 Alabama. Still, the Tigers have a four-week stretch to begin their season, where they should be favored in each matchup. A 4-0 start during that period will go a long way in building confidence for this roster. 

Auburn Prediction: OVER/UNDER 7.5 Wins

Whether the Tigers can go on the road to Kentucky on October 26 to pick up a victory could go a long way in determining whether this program can land over 7.5 wins in 2024. With a few toss-up games on their schedule, they’ll need to find a way to win those matchups and likely pick up an upset victory in one of the games we mentioned above. Despite promise for parts of this roster, we’re not bullish enough on Thorne as a quarterback to get the job done. 

Auburn Preseason Pick

UNDER 7.5 (-152) (FanDuel Sportsbook)

Auburn Best Bets

The Tigers have some solid foundational pieces they can be excited about moving forward. Still, until they move past Thorne at quarterback, we’ll unlikely be excited about backing them to go over the number on our futures ticket. 

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