LSU vs Alabama 2015 NCAA Football Betting Rivalry Preview

Posted by Mila Anderson on Monday,June 15, 2015 6:05, EDT in

If you’re a college football betting aficionado that wants to take a break from the rigors of trying to consistently cash in with wining wagers, then you’re in for a treat, thanks to this insightful look at the annual SEC showdown between the LSU Wildcats and Alabama Crimson Tide. Both, Alabama and Louisiana State University have been members of the SEC since its inception way back in December of 1932. Both prestigious schools have also competed in the SEC’s Western Division since the conference was split into two divisions back in 1992.

A Preview of the LSU vs Alabama 2015 Top College Football Betting Rivalry

Series History

The series began way back in 1895, with LSU recording a 12–6 win in Baton Rouge, Louisiana. In addition to Baton Rouge, the rivalry has been played in several other cities, including New Orleans, Birmingham, Montgomery, Tuscaloosa and Mobile. While the school’s first meeting occurred prior to the 20th century, their annual didn’t officially begin until 1964 with LSU playing its home games on campus at Tiger Stadium and Alabama playing its home games at Legion Field in Birmingham. Ironically, the longstanding series has been marked by long stretches in which the road team has dominated. Alabama currently holds an impressive 25–9–2 road record against LSU in Baton Rouge.

Between 1971 and 1998 LSU failed to win a single home game while compiling a dismal 0–14–1 record. Conversely, Alabama is just 4–11 in games played against LSU in the state of Alabama since 1982. In fact, in the history of the series, just 42 percent of games have been won by the team playing in its home state, although the Crimson Tide have a far better road record than the Tigers. In 1988 Alabama began playing its home game in the series on their Tuscaloosa campus at Bryant-Denny Stadium and although the Tide dominated the Tigers in the early stages of this rivalry, LSU has managed to make this annual clash much more competitive over the last three decades.

Since Alabama’s legendary Paul ‘Bear’ retired following the 1982 season, the series has been even closer, with Alabama holding a narrow 18–14–1 edge. Four of the last 10 meetings between the perennial national title contenders have gone to overtime although Alabama owns a perfect 4-0 SU mark over the last four meetings heading into the 2015 season, following a pair of consecutive losses to LSU in 2010 and 2011.

When Alabama hired former LSU title-winning head coach Nick Saban prior to the 2007 season, the rivalry between the SEC foes became even more intense than it had been. That season’s meeting was instantly dubbed the “Saban Bowl” though LSU recorded a thrilling 41-34 win in that meaningful matchup. Overall, Alabama has compiled a solid 6–3 SU mark against LSU during the “Saban Bowl” era. On November 5, 2011, top-ranked LSU beat No. 2 Alabama 9-6 in overtime at Bryant–Denny Stadium in Tuscaloosa, before the pair was selected by the BCS selection committee to square off in the 2012 BCS National Championship Game, marking the first time since 1986 that the two rivals played in a location other than Baton Rouge or Tuscaloosa.

Alabama won the regular season meeting that year before taking the national championship with a commanding 21-0 win over the Tigers. The rematch was the first-ever BCS title tilt to feature two teams from the same conference while also marking the first shutout of any team in the 14-year history of the BCS. Alabama holds the all-time series lead 49–25–5.

By The Betting Numbers

Alabama has gone 10-10 SU and 9-8-3 ATS over the last 20 games against LSU while also going 4-0 SU over the last four meetings and 6-1 SU over the last seven meetings. Saban’s Crimson Tide have not allowed the Tigers to top the 17-point plateau in each of the last four meetings while scoring 21 or more in three of the four matchups while going 2-1-1 ATS over the span.

Over the last six meetings dating back to 2010, LSU has gone 3-2-1 ATS and a decent 2-4 SU. The Tigers and Crimson Tide have gone 4-0-2 O/U against their Over/Under Total odds over the half-dozen game stretch. LSU will look to snap it losing streak against Alabama when they meet for their annual showdown on Saturday, Nov. 7, 2015 on Alabama’s home field.