2024 Modelo Vegas Kickoff Classic: College Football Lines for USC vs LSU Pick

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Both LSU of the SEC and Wisconsin of the Big Ten will be Top-25 teams when the college football polls are first released later this summer. So it would be a great game between the Tigers and Badgers regardless of location when they face off this fall. But this one gets even more hype because it will be held at storied Lambeau Field in Green Bay on Sept. 3 and televised by ABC. LSU has opened as a 10-point favorite in online NCAA football betting.

Sneak Peek on NCAA Football Betting Game LSU vs. Wisconsin

Wisconsin Lines Overview

This is Wisconsin’s first game at Lambeau, and needless to say it’s an incredibly tough ticket because you simply can’t get tickets to watch the Packers when they play there. So it will be the only chance for many fans to see a game at Lambeau. Though it will be played in the state and 150 miles from Madison, it is classified as a neutral-site game. The format is similar to 2014 when UW opened the season playing the Tigers at NRG Stadium in Houston. Wisconsin will get 40,000 tickets, LSU 20,000 and the NFL club will control the rest. Lambeau holds nearly 81,000 fans.

This marks the third straight season the Badgers will open with a neutral-site game against an opponent from the SEC. In that 2014 game in Houston, LSU won 28-24. Kenny Hilliard scored on a 28-yard touchdown run to cap a fourth-quarter rally. The Badgers led 24-7 in the third quarter and had dominated the game before the sudden turn of events in the final quarter.

Last year, Wisconsin faced Alabama in Arlington, Texas, and lost 35-17. Tide running back Derrick Henry ran for 147 yards and three touchdowns to get his Heisman Trophy winning season started, and Jake Coker threw for 213 yards and a score. The Badgers were held to 40 yards rushing, their lowest total since 19 against Michigan State on Oct. 27, 2012, and had only 268 total yards in former offensive coordinator Paul Chryst’s first game as head coach.

LSU Odds Analysis

LSU has one of the Heisman favorites entering this season in running back Leonard Fournette, and he will be the focus of the Wisconsin defense. Last year, Fournette was a consensus First-Team All-American as a sophomore. He led the SEC and nation in rushing with 162.8 yards a contest, finishing with 1,953 yards and 22 touchdowns – both LSU single-season records. Fournette tied the school record with 10 games of at least 100 rushing yards and set LSU mark with four 200-yard games. He capped the year with a NCAA bowl record-tying five touchdowns (4 rushing, 1 receiving) to go along with 212 rushing yards in LSU’s 56-27 win over Texas Tech in the Texas Bowl.

There is one big connection between these teams. This offseason, LSU hired Wisconsin defensive coordinator Dave Aranda for the same position. Aranda helped Wisconsin to a 10-3 record in 2015, capped by a 23-21 victory against USC in the Holiday Bowl. Wisconsin led the nation in scoring defense after the regular season (13.1) and was No. 3 in total defense (268.5), No. 4 in rushing defense (95.4) and No. 7 in passing defense (173.2). Aranda had guided Top-10 defenses at Wisconsin for the past three years. While coaching the Badgers against LSU in the 2014 season opener, Aranda’s defense limited the Tigers to 126 rushing yards. Wisconsin replaced him with Justin Wilcox from USC.

My Expert Betting Prediction

If anyone knows how to attack Wisconsin Badgers, it would be Dave Aranda. Thus, I like LSU Tigers on NCAA football lines here.

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The LSU Tigers were legitimate national title contenders (and a surefire NCAAF odds pick) just a couple of weeks ago, but after suffering consecutive losses, the former SEC four-team playoff hopefuls are just trying to close out the season in style.

Believe it or not, the Mississippi Rebels can still win the SEC West if all goes right for them over the next couple of weeks.

Now, lets find out which one of these SEC teams will bring home the bacon and keep their New Year’s Day bowl six hopes alive.

NCAAF Odds and Game Preview: LSU at Mississippi

When: 3:30 PM ET, Saturday, November 21, 2015
Where: Vaught-Hemingway Stadium, Oxford, Mississippi
TV: CBS
NCAAF Odds: Mississippi Rebels -4.5
Over/Under: 56

Betting on the Mississippi Rebels (7-3 SU, 5-5 ATS)

The rebels will have plenty of motivation to win this SEC showdown as they still have an outside chance of winning an SEC title.

Ole Miss had a bye in Week 11 after suffering a crushing 53-52 overtime loss to Arkansas on Nov. 7.

“That’s part of life — being disappointed,” Ole Miss coach Hugh Freeze said. “One of the greatest lessons you can learn in life is how do you handle that? They’re being tested with that just like we’ve been.”

Ole Miss quarterback Chad Kelly had a stupendous performance against the Razorbacks by completing 24 of 34 passes for 368 yards and three touchdowns while rushing 11 times for 110 yards and another three scores.

Despite Kelly’s jaw-dropping performance, the Rebels allowed Arkansas quarterback Brandon Allen to complete 33 of 45 passes for 442 yards and a whopping six touchdown passes.

No matter…if Mississippi wins its last two games against LSU and Mississippi State and Alabama loses in the Iron Bowl against Auburn on Nov. 28, the Rebels could win the SEC West crown.

“If you can’t refocus after a bye week and get amped up for the next game then you’re playing the wrong sport,” Kelly said. “I know our guys are ready to get back and ready to hit somebody.”

The Rebels are ranked 12th in scoring (40.7 ppg) and 43rd in points allowed (23.0 ppg).

Betting on the LSU Tigers (7-2 SU, 4-5 ATS)

In spit of their consecutive losses in their last two games, LSU still has plenty of talent and equally as much desperation to regain some of the national respect they’ve lost recently.

The Tigers were spanked by Alabama in its 30-14 Week 10 loss as a 7.5-point road dog, but that loss came against another elite national title contender.

LSU’s 31-14 Week 11 home loss against Arkansas is another story all together and one that ended the Tigers’ faint four-team playoff hopes and chances at winning the SEC West.

“When something goes not as planned, you have to say `I’m accountable and I’m responsible,” Miles said.

LSU quarterback Brandon Harris completed 21 of 35 passes for 271 yards with one touchdown and one interception while former Heisman Trophy front-runner Leonard Fournette was limited to 91 yards and one touchdown on 19 carries.

The bruising sophomore has been held to les than 100 yards in each of the last two games after rushing for at least 150 in each of the first seven games.

“I just have to help keep this team together,” the sophomore said. In hard times you see what type of man you are. I would never trade my team for anything in the world.”

The Tigers are ranked 39th in scoring (33.6 ppg) and 50th in points allowed (24.3 ppg).

LSU at Mississippi Game Analysis

56 percent of the betting public likes LSU to get the road win and accompanying ATS cover, but I’m rolling with the 44 percent of bettors that likes Ole Miss and you should too!

A few weeks ago, I would have had LSU winning and covering the spread against Mississippi in fairly easy fashion. Now though, that’s not the case after seeing how Arkansas shredded the Tigers’ once stout defense.

If Razorbacks signal-caller Brandon Allen torched LSU for six TD passes last weekend, I believe Mississippi’s Chad Kelly could put up similar numbers in this meaningful SEC showdown at home.

LSU has gone 3-7 ATS in their last 10 road games and just 1-4 ATS in their last five games following a double-digit home loss.

Conversely, Mississippi has gone 5-1 ATS in their last six home games against a team with a winning road record, 5-2 ATS in their last seven home games overall and an impressive 11-5 ATS in their last 16 games following an SU loss.

I know the road team in this longstanding rivalry is 14-4 ATS in their last 18 meetings, but LSU is just 4-10 ATS in their last 14 meetings against Ole Miss while the underdog is 14-3 ATS in their last 17 meetings.

Don’t sleep on Mississippi this week as they hand LSU their third straight loss.

My Betting Pick

Ole Miss 31 LSU 28

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Both the LSU Tigers 7-3 and the Texas A&M Aggies 8-3 face off on Saturday in Baton Rouge in an SEC college football betting rivalry matchup that comes with dire bowl implications. The Tigers have lost their last three games in a row, including losses at home to Arkansas and at Ole Miss in the last two weeks after getting knocked by the Crimson Tide in Alabama. So ravaged are the Tigers that even Leonard Fournette is no longer at the top of the Heisman talks, something coach Les Miles will want to change as we head into this season finale. On the other hand, the Aggies have lost two of their last five games, but are looking to end the regular season strongly with a ninth win in the NCAAF odds, which will catapult them to a good bowl game in December. Below is a brief online betting guide for this Saturday showdown.

A Closer Look at the Aggies @ Tigers Game Info, Betting Preview & Analysis

Venue: Tiger Stadium, Baton Rouge, LA Date: Saturday, November 28, 2015 Time: 7:30 PM ET TV: SEC Network NCAAF Lines: Texas A&M Aggies (+5.5) at LSU Tigers (-5.5)

Betting on the LSU Tigers

The Tigers started the 2015 season on fire with seven straight wins and Fournette was a hot favorite for the Heisman, turning in 200-yard games regularly. However, losses to Alabama, Arkansas and road loss at Ole Miss followed, and now the Tigers are looking for any momentum they can find before they head into their bowl game. Most recently, they are coming off a 38-17 loss to Ole Miss where QB Brandon Harris completed 26 of his 51 passes for 324 yards with one touchdown and two interceptions. Fournette rushed for 108 yards on 25 carries, while Tyson Johnson finished the game with five receptions for 83 yards with one TD. In order to bounce back, Harris and the Tigers’ offense must play their hearts out against the Aggies, who favorably come with a weak defense that ranks at No. 104 nationally.

The Tigers pass defense has played at another level in the past five games, giving up 240.2 passing yards per game during that span, a key reason they’ve struggled to contain good passers. On the season, the Tigers D-line is giving up 25.7 PPG with 351.7 YPG, and will be facing a tough Texas A&M offense that is averaging 30.3 points and 438.7 yards per game on the year, necessitating a big need for improvement.

Fortunately, LSU not only leads the All-time series against Texas A&M with a 30-19-3 record, but the Tigers have also won the last four straight games in the series, dominating the Aggies in outstanding fashion. Added to the daunting nature of playing at the Tiger Stadium, arguably the most intimidating stadium in the nation, LSU fans can be hopeful of an eighth win to the season.

Betting on the Texas A&M Aggies

Though they are on a 3-2 run in their last five games, the Aggies have won three of their last four games, including the 25-0 shutout win over Vanderbilt last weekend. QB Kyle Allen went 18 of 36 for 336 yards with one touchdown in that win. Tra Carson also chipped in handily with 126 yards on 22 carries, while Josh Reynolds had another big game for the Aggies, totaling three receptions for 105 yards with one TD. These three players will be charged with responsibility of leading the Aggies’ ferocious attack, which will be going against an equally talented LSU defense that boasts of a lethal pass rushing trio in Deion Jones (81 tackles), Kendell Beckwith (70 tackles) and Lewis Neal (7.0 sacks).

Opponents have had fits when facing the Aggies’ eighth-ranked pass defense, which gives up just 168.4 passing yards per game on the year. Also, the defense is allowing just 21.8 points with 370.8 yards per game, something that should allow them to contain or at least hang with the LSU offense that is averaging 31.9 points and 428.2 yards per game.

LSU vs Texas A&M Key Betting Trends

• The Tigers are 7-3 SU in their last 10 games • The Aggies are 9-3 SU in their last 12 games • The Tigers are 17-4 SU in their last 21 games at home • The Aggies are 15-5 SU in their last 20 games on the road • The Tigers are 4-1 ATS in their last five games when playing Texas A&M • The Aggies are 1-4 SU in their last five games when playing LSU • The total has gone OVER in five of LSU’s last six games at home • The total has gone UNDER in four of Texas A&M’s last five games on the road

Texas A&M Aggies at LSU NCAA Football Betting Prediction

This is a tough contest to figure out with the way the two schools have been playing recently. The Tigers have won the last four meetings against the Texas A&M, including 3-0 run against the Aggies since they joined the SEC in 2012. The Aggies have, however, been playing better football in recent weeks, so it’s hard to tell how the skidding Tigers will react against them. All in all, we feel that LSU will explode for a strong home game, especially in running the ball, but the Aggies should be able to use their solid passing game to find spaces in LSU’s passing defense, leading to a narrow road win for the visiting Texas A&M squad in an averagely scoring affair that will keep the game total UNDER.

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We usually don’t get great intra-conference matchups in the first few weeks of the college football season as teams often schedule cupcakes to lead into conference play. But that’s not the case in Week 2 of the coming season as USC and Stanford face off in a huge Pac-12 game that could be a preview of the conference title game. Although which team loses will have a tough time getting there. The Cardinal are early 6.5-point favorites on college football lines.

USC vs Stanford College Football Week 2 Odds & TV Info

When: Saturday, Sept. 17, 8 PM ET Where: Stanford Stadium, Palo Alto, Calif. TV: ABC Opening NCAAF Lines: Stanford -6.5

USC vs Stanford Historic Betting Trends

Stanford should be 1-0 entering this game as it hosts Kansas State in Week 1. USC probably will be 0-1 as it plays defending national champion Alabama in Arlington, Texas, in its opener and the Tide are solid favorites there.

Stanford beat USC 41-22 in last year’s Pac-12 title game. Cardinal star running back Christian McCaffrey ran for 207 yards and a score, threw a touchdown pass, caught another and broke Barry Sanders’ single-season all-purpose yards record to lead then No. 7 Stanford to the Pac-12 championship. Kevin Hogan caught the TD pass from McCaffrey, threw one and ran for a third and Solomon Thomas scored on a 34-yard fumble return for the Cardinal. That earned Stanford a trip to the Rose Bowl, where it beat Iowa.

Cody Kessler threw for 187 yards and a touchdown and ran for another score for the Trojans, who lost in their first game since removing the interim tag from coach Clay Helton. Kessler and Hogan are now in the NFL.

Why Bet on Stanford?

The Cardinal bring back McCaffrey and he’s a top Heisman contender. Many thought McCaffrey deserved the Heisman Trophy in 2015. With Hogan gone, the Cardinal will need to rely on the run more than ever. McCaffrey rushed for 2,019 yards in 2015, and he’s a lethal receiving weapon out of the backfield. The junior-to- be caught 45 balls for 645 yards last season, and at 6-1, he could easily be one of the best wide receivers in college football if he wasn’t so special as a running back.

His 2015 debut was inauspicious (12 carries, 66 yards in a 16-6 loss to Northwestern), but once McCaffrey hit his stride, he never looked back. He rushed for at least 100 yards in 11 of Stanford’s final 12 games (rushing for 94 yards in a 38-36 win over Notre Dame). It’s no coincidence that the Cardinal went 11-1 in that stretch. He also was a standout special teams player. He averaged 8.6 yards on 15 punt returns (including a 66-yard score) and 28.9 yards on 37 kick returns, including a 98-yard touchdown.

Why Bet on USC?

Who will be USC’s starting QB? Most likely Max Browne. He took of the first-team snaps during the spring. But Sam Darnold has mounted a feisty competition. After one practice, Helton gushed that Darnold had completed 94% of his passes — “an incredible number.” But Browne, he added, was in the lead. During USC’s spring game, he looked like a seasoned veteran going 7-of- 11 passing, amassing 114 yards and three touchdowns.

Browne only got garbage time last year. His best game of the season came in the opener against Arkansas State. He went 3-of- 5 passing, throwing for 66 yards including a 35-yard toss that was his longest of the day. His 170.9 quarterback rating contributed to a 55-6 win in which the entire offense excelled.

My Expert Pick

Take Stanford on NCAA football picks. McCaffrey is that good.

Previous Betting News

One of the best and most storied non-conference games in college football annually is Southern Cal and Notre Dame. And the two powerhouses close the regular season against one another this year — the loser could be knocked out of the College Football Playoff if both are in contention entering the game. The Trojans likely will be slight home favorites in college football lines.

Here’s a Closer Look at the USC vs Notre Dame Week 13 Expert Betting Pick & TV Info

When: Saturday, Nov. 26, TBA Where: Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum TV: TBA Opening NCAAF Lines: TBA

USC vs Notre Dame Historic Betting Trends

Last year, these teams met around midseason at Notre Dame and the Irish won 41-31. Notre Dame rallied for 17 points in the fourth quarter after blowing a two-touchdown lead, and took the lead on Corey Robinson’s diving catch with 9:06 left. C.J. Prosise ran for 143 yards and two touchdowns, and DeShone Kizer threw two scoring passes, the second the 10-yarder to Robinson that made it 38-31. Robinson and Prosise are no longer with the Irish. Wide receiver Will Fuller caught three passes for 131 yards and a touchdown of 75 yards. Fuller is now in the NFL.

Notre Dame’s 41 points were the highest point total by the Irish against USC since the fabled ‘Green Jersey Game’ in 1977, when Joe Montana and the Irish crushed the Trojans, 49-19. Notre Dame’s 21 first quarter points in 2015 were the most points that Notre Dame has ever scored in a single quarter against the Trojans. The previous high was 19 points in the fourth quarter of a 27-25 loss to USC in 1978. Notre Dame and USC have played 348 quarters of football against each other over 87 meetings. Notre Dame improved to 46-36- 5 all-time against USC, including a 25-14- 1 mark in home games. Both teams have the highest victory total historically against one another than any other opponent.

That 2015 game came at an odd time for USC as it was the Trojans’ first game after firing coach Steve Sarkisian. Clay Helton took over as the interim coach and eventually got the full-time job. USC coaches are now 0-7 in their first games against Notre Dame. Cody Kessler threw two touchdown passes and ran for another score for USC, but the Irish picked him off two passes in the fourth quarter to put the game away. Kessler is now in the NFL.

Why Bet Notre Dame?

The Irish have not just one but two good QBs so they are covered in case of injury or ineffectiveness. Malik Zaire started the first two games of the 2015 season before a broken ankle ended his campaign. He completed 26-of- 40 passes for 428 yards and four TDs. Zaire also rushed for 103 yards on 19 carries. He registered six completions of at least 20 yards and three of at least 30 yards. He became just the fifth Notre Dame player to throw for at least 300 yards in a season opener.

Kizer started each of the final 11 contests. He completed 211-of- 335 passes for 2,884 yards with 21 touchdowns and 10 interceptions in his first season as a starter. Kizer recorded 10 rushing TDs, which broke the single-season school record for quarterbacks. He ranked 12th in the Football Bowl Subdivision in rushing TDs by a quarterback (10), 17th in passing yards per attempt (8.61), 22nd in points responsible for per game (14.9), 24th in passing efficiency (150.0) and 25th in passing yards per completion (13.67).

Why Bet USC?

Because the game is at home. The Trojans rolled the Irish in Los Angeles 49-14 in 2014. USC has a ton of offensive talent in 2016 all over the field. There’s potential All-American wide receiver JuJu Smith-Schuster, the speedy game-changer Adoree’ Jackson and reliable Darreus Rodgers. That’s just the wide receivers. At tailback, they have the dynamic duo of sophomore Ronald Jones II and senior Justin Davis. Both guys ran for over 900 yards last season.

The big question at USC is who is going to start at quarterback. After the loss of Kessler, Helton went into spring ball with the experienced backup Max Browne and redshirt freshman Sam Darnold. Yet, by the end of spring, neither had cemented himself as the starter. Most expect Browne to be the guy.

My Expert Pick

I like the Irish here on NCAA football odds.

Previous Betting News

The reeling South Carolina Gamecocks will look to slow down the runaway express train that is LSU running back Leonard Fournette when they host the unbeaten Tigers in a Week 6 SEC showdown that gets underway on Saturday, live from Williams-Bryce Stadium, weather permitting. The Gamecocks and their NCAA Football odds fans are hoping to play this game at home despite massive flooding in the state of South Carolina due to torrential downpours and widespread flooding that has been levied on the state because of Hurricane Joaquin. Both schools announced Monday that they plan to play the game as scheduled but will continue to monitor the situation. Okay, now let’s find out if the Gamecocks can pull off the big upset at home or whether LSU will stay on track earn a berth in the four-team playoff.

Taking a Closer Look at the Tigers @ Gamecocks NCAA Football Odds & Game Info

When: Saturday, October 10, 12:00 PM ET
Where: Williams-Brice Stadium, Columbia, South Carolina
NCAAF Odds: LSU -13/ Total 49
TV: ESPN

Why Bet on the South Carolina Gamecocks (2-3 SU, 2-3 ATS)

The Gamecocks will enter this contest in what I like to call, all-out desperation mode, but even that may not be enough to help them beat a clearly superior LSU team that has big postseason hopes right now. South Carolina looked absolutely awful in their 24-10, Week 5 loss to Missouri (just as I predicted). More importantly, the Gamecocks have yet to find a competent starting quarterback after losing former starter Connor Mitch to a shoulder injury.

Backup Perry Orth got his shot to replace Mitch, but failed miserably, leaving freshman Lorenzo Nunez to get his first career start against Missouri in Week 5. Unfortunately, the young signal-caller struggled immensely in throwing three interceptions in the humbling loss. “We wished he would have thrown those to a little different spot,” Spurrier said. “We’ve got to get the ball to the open guy at the right time. We didn’t do that.”

Why Bet on the LSU Tigers (4-0 SU, 1-3 ATS)

Sophomore running back Leonard Fournette has been absolutely unstoppable this season in rushing for a stellar 864 yards through four games while averaging an impressive 5.5 yards per carry. The 230-pound bruising big back has topped the 200-yard plateau in each of LSU’s last three games while scoring 11 rushing touchdowns and two more through the air.

LSU humbled Eastern Michigan 44-22 in Week 5, but failed to cover the spread as an insane 45-point home favorite to drop the Tigers to 1-3 ATS on the season. The Tigers are ranked 36th in scoring (35.0 ppg) and 47th in points allowed (21.5 ppg) and have won both of their two SEC matchups this season.

My Expert Game Analysis & Betting Pick:

It doesn’t take a rocket scientist to figure out that South Carolina is in over their heads against LSU in this contest and simply doesn’t stand much of a chance of winning outright – if any. Having said that, clearly the only question that needs to be answered for this Week 6 mismatch is whether or not LSU will cover the spread as nearly two-touchdown road faves. A convincing 64 percent of the betting public likes LSU to win and cash in and I’m going to say that is undoubtedly the right call, with South Carolina (20.0 ppg) averaging a whopping 16.0 points less per game than LSU while simultaneously allowing 5.8 points per game more than their SEC counterparts.

LSU has scored 34 points or more in each of their last three games while topping the 40-point plateau twice during the stretch. Conversely, South Carolina has been held to 20 points or less in two of their last three games and simply looked awful in getting held to 10 points against Missouri. The Tigers are 6-2 ATS in their last eight games against a team with a losing home record while South Carolina has gone 1-4 ATS in their last five SEC games and 0-4 ATS in their last four games against a team with a winning record. LSU wins and cashes in with just a wee bit of room to spare.

My Pick: LSU 38 South Carolina 21