The LSU Tigers (2-1) and Mississippi State Bulldogs (2-1) hook up for an SEC opener Saturday at Davis Wade Stadium in Starkville, Miss. Kickoff is scheduled for noon ET. Below, we look at the LSU at Mississippi State odds and lines, and make our expert college football picks, predictions and bets.
The Tigers picked up their first cover against the spread, beating Central Michigan 49-21 last week as 19.5-point home favorites. After two games where the offense wasn’t quite hitting on all cylinders, the Tigers showed out.
Mississippi State’s “Air Raid” offense of head coach Mike Leach was grounded by Memphis last week at the Liberty Bowl as the Bulldogs fell 31-29. The Bulldogs are averaging just 26.5 points per game across the past two games, both Under results after an Over to open the season.
LSU at Mississippi State odds, spread and lines
Odds provided by Tipico Sportsbook; access USA TODAY Sports’ betting odds for a full list. Lines last updated Thursday at 7:25 a.m. ET.
- Money line: LSU -135 (bet $135 to win $100) | Mississippi State +110 (bet $100 to win $110)
- Against the spread (ATS): LSU -2.5 (-103) | Mississippi State +2.5 (-117)
- Over/Under (O/U): 56.5 (O: -112 | U: -108)
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LSU at Mississippi State odds, lines, picks and predictions
Prediction
LSU 31, Mississippi State 24
Money line
LSU (-135) is a good play straight up if you don’t want to fiddle around with the points and just want to pick a winner. Playing the Bayou Bengals at this price is not terribly out of line.
Against the spread
LSU -2.5 (-103) looks to have solved its initial offensive woes. After an opening-season loss at UCLA, the Tigers appear to have figured things out on offense. QB Max Johnson threw for 372 yards with 5 touchdowns last against CMU, and WR Deion Smith looks to be the next great receiver in a long line of great Tigers wideouts.
Mississippi State has an unbalanced offense, leaning obviously toward the pass with QB Will Rogers at the helm. However, LSU has a very good pass rush, and Rogers will likely have plenty of grass stains on his britches before the dust settles here.
Over/Under
UNDER 56.5 (-108) is the lean, ever so slightly. I trust that LSU has found its rhythm on offense. However, we have only seen the Tigers on the road once, and it wasn’t great. Mississippi State has been hard on the opposition, limiting teams to 317.3 total yards per game.
Don’t expect a track meet in Stark Vegas.
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