The LSU Tigers, after a heart-breaking loss to Alabama Saturday, try to pick up the pieces when they host the Bulldogs of Mississippi State Saturday night (7 pm ET, ESPN).
The 7-2 Tigers, now out of the BCS race, were early 14-point favorites over the 7-2 'Dogs, who have lost their last two games after starting 7-0.
View Mississippi State vs LSU Odds and Stats.
Betting Line: Bettors looking to back the visiting Bulldogs in this one found them as 17-point underdogs on the Sportsbook college football point spread at Sportsbook. The over under number opens in this game was at 43.5 on Friday over at Sportsbook.
Power Rankings / Prediction: According to the Power Rankings here at OddsShark it's the No. 6-rated Tigers and the No. 44-rated Bulldogs in this matchup. Predictive formulas point to a 38-35 win for the Tigers on Saturday.
How They Match Up:
The game also pits LSU's No. 58-ranked offense, averaging 29.4 PPG, against a Bulldogs defense that ranks No. 23 this week at 19.7 PPG. The Tigers aerial game is averaging 190.6 yards per game, less than the Bulldogs secondary allows through the air, 209.7 YPG per game.
Defensively, the Bulldogs feature the league's No. 55-rated road run defense, allowing 162 yards per game. LSU, meanwhile, ranks No. 26 in rushing offense at home.
Mississippi State was a 38-13 loser in their most recent outing at home against Texas A&M. They failed to cover the 6.5-point spread as underdogs, while the total score (51) made Sportsbooks of UNDER bettors. Mississippi State was hammered in its last outing, as Texas A&M ran up a 38-13 score against them at Davis Wade Stadium at Scott Field.
LSU was a 21-17 loser in their most recent outing at home against Alabama. They covered the 7.5-point spread as underdogs, while the total score (38) made Sportsbooks of UNDER bettors. Last time we saw the Tigers, they had no answer for WinningRB as the Crimson Tide rolled to a 21-17 victory at Tiger Stadium.
LSU Fight for Relevance on College Football Moneyline
One doesn’t simply bounce back from a gut-wrenching defeat at the hands of a heated rival under the brutal gaze of the national spotlight, but that’s exactly what the No. 7 LSU Tigers will have to do if they want to live up to their lofty college football odds.
They may not be in the running for the No. 1 ranking anymore, but that’s not to say they can’t still deal some damage night in and night out.
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This Saturday, as Week 11 fast approaches, the Tigers will gear up for a date with the No. 21 Mississippi State Bulldogs; an opponent legitimate enough for Les Miles and company to build confidence through, but dangerous enough to sneak away with a W if the Tigers aren’t careful.
These days, given that LSU has fallen off the BCS futures altogether - thanks a lot, Alabama - the college football betting community will be limited to playing either individual game lines or player props.
If the underdog Bulldogs are to hold up against LSU’s convoy of capable backs, they’ll need their solid defensive core to be at its finest. Although nothing special in the grueling SEC, Mississippi State has kept opponents to under 20 points per game, good enough for 23rd in the nation.
It may not be the outcome LSU hoped for in preseason, but a respectable campaign can still be salvaged if they find a way to bounce back from their loss to the Crimson Tide in Week 10.
Mississippi State Bulldogs Trends:
When playing in November are 4-6
When playing on grass are 8-2
After being outgained are 5-5
When playing within the conference are 5-5
LSU Tigers Trends:
When playing in November are 8-2
When playing on grass are 8-2
After outgaining opponent are 9-1
When playing within the conference are 7-3
A few Bulldogs at Tigers trends to consider:
Mississippi State is 9-2 SU in its last 11 games
The total has gone UNDER in 6 of Mississippi State's last 8 games
The total has gone OVER in 6 of Mississippi State's last 8 games when playing LSU
The total has gone OVER in 4 of Mississippi State's last 6 games when playing on the road against LSU
LSU is 5-0 SU in its last 5 games when playing Mississippi State
LSU is 5-0 SU in its last 5 games when playing at home against Mississippi State
LSU is 23-2 SU in its last 25 games at home
LSU is 21-3 SU in its last 24 games
Next up:
Mississippi State home to Arkansas, Saturday, November 17
LSU home to Mississippi, Saturday, November 17
