The Tennessee Volunteers (4-0, 1-0 SEC) and LSU Tigers (4-1, 2-0) renew acquaintances Saturday in Baton Rouge. Kickoff in the SEC crossover clash at Tiger Stadium is scheduled for noon ET (ESPN). Below, we analyze Tipico Sportsbook‘s lines around the Tennessee vs. LSU odds, and make our expert college football picks and predictions.
Tennessee leads the nation in total offense with an average of 559.3 yards per game. The Volunteers had 576 total yards in their last game (Sept. 24 vs. Florida) and then had a bye in Week 5. The Vols rank 6th in the nation with an 86.4% touchdown conversion rate in the red zone.
LSU is coming off a 21-17 win at Auburn last Saturday, and the Tigers have won 4 straight games since losing 23-22 vs. Florida State Sept. 4. LSU won at Auburn despite logging just 270 total yards. The Tigers are 3rd in the SEC with 293.8 yards allowed per contest.
Tennessee is No. 8 in the AFCA Coaches Poll powered by USA TODAY Sports.
Stream select live college football games and full replays: Get ESPN+
Tennessee at LSU odds
Provided by Tipico Sportsbook; access USA TODAY Sports Scores and Sports Betting Odds hub for a full list. Lines last updated Friday at noon ET.
- Moneyline: Tennessee -145 (bet $145 to win $100) | LSU +120 (bet $100 to win $120)
- Against the spread (ATS): Tennessee -2.5 (-115) | LSU +2.5 (-107)
- Over/Under (O/U): 64.5 (O: -115 | U: -107)
Claim your risk-free bet up to $350. Catch the excitement and start betting with Tipico Sportsbook! New customer offer in CO and NJ. 21+, see Tipico.com for Terms and Conditions. Bet now!
Tennessee at LSU picks and predictions
Prediction
LSU 31, Tennessee 27
Moneyline
Peg Tennessee’s defense as being leakier than what some surface stats indicate, and it’s been the beneficiary of a 28.3% rate on opponent 3rd-down conversions. Some regression there with a defense struggling against the pass opens up the Volunteers to be vulnerable in preventing points.
UT had a Sept. 10 win over Pittsburgh where the Vols had 3 short-field scores. In the team’s win over Florida, the Gators torched Tennessee for several long drives.
Now we add in a key injury. Senior WR Cedric Tillman — who had 15 catches over Weeks 1 and 2 — is not expected back until late October, and he is one of QB Hendon Hooker‘s favorite targets. Tillman hauled in 12 TD catches in a 1,000-yard season in 2021.
With a youthful LSU team being a few hundred snaps older than they were at the season’s open, the Tigers figure to be ready to be competitive in this one.
Tennessee’s red-zone offense against Louisiana State’s red-zone defense figures as a key strength-on-strength match-up.
TAKE LSU (+120).
Against the spread
LINE WATCH: pass on the LSU -2.5 action, but back the Tigers if the line moves to a full 3 points.
Over/Under
No value in either direction: PASS.
Play our free daily Pick’em Challenge and win! Play now!
Want action on this game or any other NCAA football matchup? Bet legally online with a trusted partner: Tipico Sportsbook, SportsbookWire’s official sportsbook partner in CO and NJ. Bet now!
If you’re looking for more sports betting picks and tips, access all of our content at SportsbookWire.com and BetFTW, or try out our USA TODAY Parlay Calculator. Please gamble responsibly.
Follow SportsbookWire on Twitter and like us on Facebook.
College sports coverage from USA TODAY Sports Media Group:
Alabama / Arkansas / Auburn / Clemson / Colorado / Florida / Georgia / Iowa / LSU / Michigan / Michigan State / Nebraska / North Carolina / Notre Dame / Ohio State / Oklahoma / Oregon / Penn State / Rutgers / Tennessee / Texas / Texas A&M / USC / Wisconsin / College Football News
[lawrence-newsletter]
[lawrence-auto-related count=3 category=1622]