Mississippi State Bulldogs at LSU Tigers Odds & Game Pick (2020)
With the SEC joining the Big 12 and ACC this weekend in starting their 2020 campaigns, just the Big 10 and Pac-12 now remain to bring all Power 5 conferences to the table as eligible for the College Football Playoff.
While we’ll have to wait nearly a month to see the Big 10, the SEC kicks off Saturday with all 14 teams in action.
Let’s take a look at one of the more intriguing matchups I have my eye on for Saturday afternoon.
Odds courtesy of FanDuel Sportsbook.
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Details
- Opening Lines: LSU -19; O/U 55.5
- Current Line: LSU -16.5
- O/U: 56
- Location: Tiger Stadium (LA), Baton Rouge, LA
- Start Time: 3:30 pm ET
- Television: CBS
- Last Meeting: October 19, 2019 – LSU 36, Mississippi State 13
Overview
When new Bulldogs head coach Mike Leach Makes his debut in the SEC on Saturday, it won’t be the home game against New Mexico that he had been expecting. Then again, nothing about the world is could have been expected as short as just seven months ago.
For Leach, whose Mississippi State team returns just 11 starters from 2019, zero spring practices make matters even worse as he tries to transition this offense who was run-heavy under the former regime, to his Air Raid attack. Stanford quarterback transfer KJ Costello comes in as a graduate transfer but loses four of the Bulldogs top five targets from a season ago.
For LSU, it will be almost impossible to repeat the magic that was 2019 as an undefeated (10-3-1 ATS) season was capped off by a National Championship and Heisman winner in Joe Burrow. In his place steps junior Myles Brennan, whose experience within the program should be a positive but does have the disadvantage of a brand new offensive coordinator.
- Navy is 10-1-1 ATS in their last ten following a straight-up loss of more than 20
- The road team (Navy) is 4-0-1 ATS in these two teams last head to head meetings
Bottom Line
While losing 14 players in April’s NFL Draft is certainly nothing to ignore for the Tigers, do recognize that Coach O recruits NFL level talent nearly two-deep across the board. Additionally, despite the LSU COVID opt-outs, most notably in the nation’s top wide receiver in Ja’Marr Chase, LSU still has guys like Terrace Marshall waiting in the wings who, in a WR1 spot this year, should make up that production.
For me, the level of talent in the secondaries of the SEC doesn’t bode well for Leach’s Air Raid, and I think this flash in the pan hire lasts no more than two seasons in Starkville.
I like Coach O to have his boys ready to go early in this one, and jump out to an early lead before the half.
Pick: 1st Half LSU Tigers -9.5
FanDuel Sportsbook: View our review and access special sports betting offers >>
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TJ Perun is a featured writer at BettingPros. For more from TJ, check out his archive and follow him @JohnnyCovers.