A classic late-season SEC matchup with major College Football Playoff weight is set for Saturday when the No. 14 LSU Tigers host the No. 5 Alabama Crimson Tide at Tiger Stadium in Baton Rouge. Kickoff is scheduled for 3:30 p.m. ET. Both teams enter with 6-2 overall records; LSU is 3-2 in conference play while Alabama sits at 4-2. A victory for either side would strengthen its playoff resume, while a loss would make the path to the postseason steeper with November still ahead.
Alabama has dominated the recent head-to-head series, winning the last three meetings by double digits and 13 of the last 15 overall. LSU head coach Lane Kiffin, who served as Alabama's offensive coordinator under Nick Saban from 2014 to 2016, is seeking his first win over the Crimson Tide as a head coach (0-5 career). Alabama's Kalen DeBoer, meanwhile, is 2-0 against LSU. Star Alabama receiver Ryan Coleman-Williams is expected to return after missing the past two games.
LSU's offense ranks among the nation's most explosive, averaging 40.1 points per game. Quarterback Sam Leavitt has thrown for 2,173 yards and 17 touchdowns. He will face an Alabama defense that is considered stronger against the run than the pass. On the other side, Alabama counters with quarterback Keelon Russell, who has passed for 2,057 yards and 20 combined touchdowns. LSU's defense has allowed 17 points or fewer in each of its wins but over 30 points in each loss.
According to the latest odds, LSU is a 6-point favorite with an over/under of 53.5 points. The money line lists LSU at -225 and Alabama at +195. The SportsLine Projection Model, which simulates every FBS game 10,000 times and entered Week 10 on an 80-77 run on top-rated college football picks, projects the Over 53.5 as the value side 52% of the time. The model also indicates one side of the spread hits in well over 50% of simulations, with that specific pick available exclusively through SportsLine.
