The Louisiana Ragin’ Cajuns and Texas Longhorns will meet in the season opener at DKR-Texas Memorial Stadium in Austin. Kickoff is scheduled for 4:30 p.m. ET. Below, we look at the Louisiana at Texas odds and lines, and make our expert college football picks, predictions and bets.
The upset-minded Ragin’ Cajuns are one of two Sun Belt Conference teams in the preseason Top 25 rankings. That’s the first time the SBC has had two teams in the preseason rankings.
Louisiana is no slouch, just ask Iowa State. The Cajuns routed that Big 12 member 31-14 in last season’s opener.
Texas turns to former Alabama offensive coordinator Steve Sarkisian as head coach replacing the departed Tom Herman. The Longhorns will use QB Hudson Card as its starting signal caller, but Casey Thompson is also expected to see time. Card will have the luxury of playing behind four returning starters on the offensive line.
Louisiana at Texas odds, spread and lines
Odds provided by Tipico Sportsbook; access USA TODAY Sports’ betting odds for a full list. Lines last updated Friday at 7:50 a.m. ET.
- Money line: Louisiana +260 (bet $100 to win $260) | Texas -340 (bet $340 to win $100)
- Against the spread (ATS): Louisiana +9.5 (-112) | Texas -9.5 (-108)
- Over/Under (O/U): 58.5 (O: -108 | U: -112)
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Louisiana at Texas odds, lines, picks and predictions
Prediction
Texas 31, Louisiana 29
Money line
Texas (-340) will cost you more than three times your potential return, and that’s risky business in a game featuring two Top 25 teams.
AVOID.
Against the spread
LOUISIANA +9.5 (-112) should be able to keep this a one-possession game. I wouldn’t even be surprised to see them going for the tie late, perhaps misfiring on a two-point conversion. Texas -9.5 (-108) will be lucky to escape with a victory in Sarkasian’s debut on the sidelines.
Don’t sleep on the Ragin’ Cajuns, they easily could win this game. QB Levi Lewis is a stud, and he has a top-notch offensive line protecting him.
Over/Under
OVER 58.5 (-108) is the lean, but only go with a small-unit wager here. We haven’t seen Card in action. Lewis and the Louisiana offense is pretty powerful, but they also lack a clear-cut No. 1 wideout, so they’ll be adjusting to some new players, too. Still, once these two offenses settle in, we should see plenty of fireworks.
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