Saturday’s college football slate features appealing matchups to begin conference play in many cases. One example is a battle between the LSU Tigers and the Mississippi State Bulldogs in Starkville, Miss. Both teams are 2-1 this season and playing their first SEC contest. LSU took its loss on the road against UCLA in the opener, while Mississippi State fell to Memphis last week.
Kickoff is at noon ET. Caesars Sportsbook lists the Tigers as 2.5-point favorites on the road, while the over-under, or total number of points Vegas thinks will be scored, is 56.5 in the latest LSU vs. Mississippi State odds. Before making any Mississippi State vs. LSU picks, make sure you see the college football predictions and betting advice from the SportsLine Projection Model.
The SportsLine Projection Model simulates every FBS college football game 10,000 times. Over the past five-plus years, the proprietary computer model has generated a stunning profit of almost $3,000 for $100 players on its top-rated college football picks against the spread. It also enters Week 4 of the 2021 season on a 72-58 run on all top-rated college football picks. Anyone who has followed it has seen huge returns.
Now, the model has set its sights on LSU vs. Mississippi State. You can visit SportsLine now to see the picks. Here are the college football odds and trends for Mississippi State vs. LSU:
- LSU vs. Mississippi State spread: LSU -2.5
- LSU vs. Mississippi State over-under: 56.5 points
- LSU vs. Mississippi State money line: LSU -135, MSU +115
- LSU: The Tigers are 7-6 against the spread in the last 13 games
- MSU: The Bulldogs are 6-8 against the spread in the last 14 games
Featured Game | Mississippi State Bulldogs vs. LSU Tigers
Why LSU can cover
LSU’s offense has shown flashes of intrigue, particularly through the air. The Tigers have a top-four passing offense in the SEC, averaging 303 yards per game, and sophomore quarterback Max Johnson leads the SEC with 11 touchdown passes. Kayshon Boutte leads the conference with six touchdown catches, a mark that is also tied for the lead nationally, and Boutte is a top-six player in the SEC in receptions (20) and yards (223).
Defensively, LSU is holding its opponents to fewer than 300 total yards per game, with the opposition averaging 2.8 yards per carry and completing fewer than 59 percent of passes. As usual, the Tigers have tremendous talent up and down the roster, with sophomore defensive end BJ Ojulari leading the SEC in sacks with 4.5 through only three games. LSU’s defense has terrorized quarterbacks with 17 sacks, leading the SEC, and its secondary can capitalize on the pressure.
Why Mississippi State can cover
Under Mike Leach, the Bulldogs pass quite a bit, and they’ve enjoyed success with it in 2021. Sophomore quarterback Will Rogers currently leads the SEC in passing yards (1,083), completion percentage (74.8) and completions (122), with Mississippi State leading the conference in passing offense. Rogers has a pair of top-flight pass-catchers in receiver Makai Polk and running back Jo’quavious Marks, with Polk and Marks ranking as the top two players in the SEC in receptions.
In 2020, Mississippi State threw for more than 600 yards against LSU, and that led the team to an upset road win. Defensively, Mississippi State is also quite stout. The Bulldogs are giving up only 3.0 yards per carry and 74 yards per game on the ground. Against the pass, the Bulldogs have four interceptions, with opponents completing only 57.8 percent of their passes and averaging a meager 6.3 yards per pass attempt for only five touchdowns in three games.
How to make Mississippi State vs. LSU picks
SportsLine’s model is leaning over on the total, projecting 60 combined points. The model also says one side of the spread hits in almost 60 percent of simulations. You can only get the pick at SportsLine.
So who wins LSU vs. Mississippi State? And which side of the spread hits in almost 60 percent of simulations? Visit SportsLine now to find out which side of the spread you need to jump on, all from the model that has crushed its college football picks, and find out.
