LSU vs. Tennessee: Prediction, point spread, odds, best bet for Week 6
It wasn’t exactly the performance Tigers fans wanted to see on Saturday night on the road against Auburn. But you can never look a gift horse in the mouth when it comes to winning at Jordan-Hare Stadium.
LSU’s 21 unanswered points to overcome a three-score deficit moved its record in SEC play to 2-0 and earned it the final spot in the AP Top 25 (though it still sits just outside the top 25 in the Coaches) as it welcomes the No. 8 Tennessee Volunteers to town in what will now be a ranked matchup.
The Volunteers come into this game fresh as they were on a bye in Week 5 after earning a huge win at home to end a five-game losing streak to Florida. They’re undefeated, boasting a pair of ranked wins, and home to contend with a Georgia team in the East that has looked vulnerable the last two weeks.
UT’s calling card is a high-octane passing offense that is one of the most productive in the country, and it could have a lot of success against an LSU defense that took a bit of a step back last weekend.
It’s likely due to this concern that the Vols open as a slim betting favorite heading into a rare 11 a.m. local kick in Death Valley.
We’ll give you the latest point spread, money line odds and over/under number, as well as the information you’ll need to make the smartest bet at BetMGM.
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The lines
The Tigers open as an underdog in this one, albeit by less than a field goal. With the over/under set at 62.5, it’s clear that Vegas thinks these teams will put some points on the board.
Team | Spread | Total – O/U | Money Line |
Tennessee | -2.5 | O 62.5 | -140 |
LSU | +2.5 | U 62.5 | +115 |
You can access odds at BetMGM.
Click here to place your bets at BetMGM.
Injury Report
LSU saw a scary injury on Saturday night on the opening kickoff when [autotag]Sevyn Banks[/autotag] had to be carted off and taken to the hospital after suffering a neck injury. On Monday, Kelly said Banks had a “spinal cord bruise” and, thankfully, doesn’t seem to have any other issues. He is expected to be out five to six weeks.
Left guard [autotag]Garrett Dellinger[/autotag] missed the Auburn game after undergoing hand surgery, but he’ll return to practice this week. Quarterback [autotag]Jayden Daniels[/autotag] suffered no structural damage to his knee, but Kelly said he’s dealing with a lot of pain. [autotag]Armoni Goodwin[/autotag] will be out for at least a few more weeks with a hamstring injury suffered against New Mexico.
The Volunteers, meanwhile, are dealing with several key injuries. However, they could be able to get some of those players back with the bye week to recuperate. Star receiver Cedric Tillman hasn’t played since the win over Akron, and coach Josh Heupel has said that he is “hopeful” Tillman will play.
He said the same for other injured players in cornerbacks Warren Burrell and Dee Williams, as well asrunning back Dylan Sampson. Quarterback Hendon Hooker suffered a minor injury in the win over Florida, but he is expected to be full-go this weekend.
How to Watch
Here’s when and how you can tune into the game:
Date: October 8, 2022
Time: 11 a.m. CT
TV Channel: ESPN
Live Stream: fuboTV (watch here)
Radio: LSU Sports Radio Network
Prediction and best bet
LSU’s defense did a really impressive job against the last strong passing offense it faced in Mississippi State, but after the way it played on Saturday, I’m fairly concerned about this one. The Vols are going to really test the speed and preparation of Matt House’s defense, and the Tigers are likely to give up some points. On the other hand, Tennessee did give up over 500 yards of total offense to Anthony Richardson alone in its last outing, so the Tigers could be able to keep up in a shootout. This is a small spread, and being a noon game, I just don’t feel great about LSU’s chances in this one.
Prediction: Tennessee 38, LSU 31
Get more betting analysis and predictions at Sportsbook Wire.
