Teams hoping to battle for the SEC West title clash in a conference opening matchup on Saturday when the No. 14 LSU Tigers take on the Mississippi State Bulldogs. The Tigers (1-1), the defending champions of the West, stumbled in the season opener in a 45-24 loss to Florida State, before avenging it in a big way last Saturday when they scored a 72-10 win over Grambling State. The Bulldogs (2-0) whipped Southeast Louisiana 48-7 in the season opener, before outlasting Arizona 31-24 in overtime last week. Mississippi State started fast, grabbing a 14-0 lead and led 21-14 after three quarters. The Bulldogs defense forced five turnovers in the victory.

Kickoff from Davis Wade Stadium in Starkville, Miss., is set for noon ET. LSU is averaging 48 points per game this season, while Mississippi State is averaging 39.5. The Tigers are favored by 9.5 points in the latest LSU vs. Mississippi State odds from SportsLine consensus, while the over/under for total points scored is 54. Before making any Mississippi State vs. LSU picks, you need to see the college football predictions and betting advice from SportsLine’s proven computer model.

The SportsLine Projection Model simulates every FBS college football game 10,000 times. Since its inception, the proprietary computer model has generated a stunning profit of almost $2,500 for $100 players on its top-rated college football picks against the spread. Anyone who has followed the model has seen huge returns.

Now, the model has set its sights on LSU vs. Mississippi State and just revealed its picks and predictions. You can visit SportsLine now to see the model’s CFB picks. Here are several college football odds and trends for Mississippi State vs. LSU:

• LSU vs. Mississippi State spread: LSU -9.5
• LSU vs. Mississippi State over/under: 54 points
• LSU vs. Mississippi State money line: LSU -359, Mississippi State +280
• LSU: The Tigers have hit the Over on the team total in nine of their last 13 games
• MSU: The Bulldogs have won seven of their last eight games at home
• LSU vs. Mississippi State picks: See picks at SportsLine
• LSU vs. Mississippi State live stream: fubo (try for free)

Why LSU can cover

Among the many offensive weapons the Tigers possess for quarterback Jayden Daniels is junior wide receiver Malik Nabers. He is coming off a five-catch, 87-yard and one-touchdown effort in the win over Grambling State. For the year, he has 11 receptions for 154 yards (14 average) and one TD. A year ago, he was among the team leaders on offense with 72 catches for 1,017 yards (14.1 average) and three TDs.

On defense, junior cornerback Zy Alexander is already making a huge impact. The fourth-year player and transfer from Southeast Louisiana has 13 tackles, including nine solo, with two pass breakups through two games. The past two seasons at Southeast Louisiana, Alexander compiled nine interceptions, returning two for scores. In 2022, he made 24 tackles, including 17 solo, with four pass breakups and three interceptions, returning two for touchdowns. See which team to pick here.

Why Mississippi State can cover

Senior quarterback Will Rogers has been a big part of the Bulldogs’ success. He has completed 33 of 46 passes (71.7%) for 389 yards and five touchdowns. Despite being sacked three times, he has held up well and not thrown any interceptions while compiling a rating of 178.6. He is in his fourth season at Mississippi State, where he has completed 70.7% of his passes for 11,078 yards and 87 touchdowns, while being intercepted just 24 times.

Also leading the Bulldogs’ offense is senior running back Jo’Quavious Marks. The fourth-year player, who has spent his entire collegiate career at Mississippi State, carried 24 times for 123 yards (5.1 average) and one TD in the win over Arizona. In four seasons with the Bulldogs, Marks has rushed for 1,560 yards and 21 scores. A year ago, he carried 113 times for 582 yards (5.2 average) and nine touchdowns. See which team to pick here.

How to make Mississippi State vs. LSU picks

SportsLine’s model is leaning Under on the point total, projecting the teams to combine for 52 points. The model also says one side of the spread hits in more than 60% of simulations. You can see the model’s picks at SportsLine. 

So who wins LSU vs. Mississippi State, and which side of the spread hits more than 60% of the time? Visit SportsLine now to see which side of the spread you need to jump on, all from the model that has notched a profit of almost $2,500 on its top-rated college football spread picks, and find out.