Alabama football vs LSU final odds and a prediction
Alabama football plays LSU in Baton Rouge tonight in primetime on ABC. The Crimson Tide no longer has to ponder what it will take to make the College Football Playoff. Ever since losing for the second time this season on the road to Tennessee, Alabama's only remaining path to the playoff was winning its remaining games.
Five in a row or they don't go. Alabama got the first of a hopeful five consecutive wins two weeks ago at home by beating Missouri 34-0. The second straight win has to come in one of the most difficult road environments in all of college football.
LSU has the same mandate as Alabama. The Tigers need to win out in order to get to the playoff. Its season-opening loss to USC looks worse by the week, so even losing to a team on the fringe of the Top 10, a third loss would be a bridge too far.
Betting Odds
Odds courtesy of FanDuel
Spread: Alabama -2.5
Over/Under: 58.5
The spread has stayed at roughly where it opened. Alabama opened as a small road favorite, and the Crimson Tide remains a small road favorite. It's a bit of a surprise as I think most Alabama fans expected LSU to be a slight favorite at home.
Final Prediction:
I don't have a good feeling about this game in either direction. It truly feels like a 50/50 kind of contest. Alabama has the ability to run a similar offensive style to Texas A&M and give LSU's defense fits. Garrett Nussmeier is a good enough quarterback to make Alabama's young secondary pay for any mistakes.
Can Alabama prevent the big plays defensively? And can the offense sustain drives and keep a dangerous Tigers offense on the sideline for prolonged periods?
This one is going to be close. I rarely predict Alabama to lose a game and I'm not doing it here, either.