Mississippi State At LSU College Football Expert Picks

In the Nick Saban era, it has been Alabama who have essentially ruled the roost in the SEC West, which just so happens to be the best division in all of college football. The general consensus heading into the 2016 college football season was that the LSU Tigers might well be the team to knock the Crimson Tide off the throne. After all, this is a team that is loaded with talent from top to bottom. They have a defense that is about as stingy as it gets, and they also have potential Heisman winner Leonard Fournette carrying the rock every second or third play. To say that things have not gone as expected so far this season is putting it mildly, and now the Tigers have another tough test when they welcome in the Mississippi State Bulldogs on Saturday night. The Tigers are a 14-point betting odds favorite for this one, but given how they have struggled through the opening two weeks, you have to wonder if the bookies have set the bar a little too high.

In Depth Analysis On The Bulldogs At Tigers College Football Expert Picks

When: Saturday, September 17 at 7 PM EST Where: Tiger Stadium, Baton Rouge TV: ESPN 2 Live Stream: Watch ESPN NCAAF Odds: LSU Tigers -14    

Why bet on the Mississippi State Bulldogs

The opening week of the season proved to be a nightmare for the Mississippi State Bulldogs, as they inexplicably lost 21-20 to S, Alabama in a game where they were favored by 28 points. That type of defeat would be enough to derail a bunch of teams, but you have to give credit to Mississippi State for bouncing back and getting a gritty win in Week 2 against the South Carolina Gamecocks. The one thing that has really stood out with this team so far is the defensive front, as they were able to hold the Gamecocks to just 34 yards on the ground in 31 attempts. If they can shut down Fournette on Saturday, they might just have the chance to spring the upset.

Why bet on the LSU Tigers

What’s going on with LSU? It’s hard to blame just a single element for their lackluster start to the season, but you have to take a close look at their QB situation. Brandon Harris cost the Tigers the game in Week 1 against Wisconsin, throwing an awful late pick, and then he ended up riding the pine after getting the hook last week against Jacksonville State. The Tigers got the win on that one, but a 34-13 victory against a team who came in as a 30-point underdog is not really something to write home about. With the QB situation being what it is in Baton Rouge, expect to see a whole lot of Leonard Fournette this weekend, as LSU try to ride him to victory.

Expert Pick and Final Score Prediction

This has to be considered a do or die game for the Tigers, especially since there are a lot of people out there who have already written them off as a playoff contender. LSU is 11-1 at home versus Mississippi State going back to 1992, and while I think they’ll get the win, I don’t believe they will cover that big spread.

Mississippi State Bulldogs 14 LSU Tigers 21