LSU vs. Alabama Odds: Latest Betting Lines and Trends for the 'Game of the Century'
The eyes of the college football world will be firmly set on Tuscaloosa, Alabama, this weekend as the Crimson Tide hosts LSU in the re-match of the "Game of the Century" on Saturday afternoon.
Matchups between the two SEC rivals seldom need introduction at the best of time, even less so when both programs are undefeated and arrive into the game as the No.2 and No.3 in the first College Football Playoff ranking of the season behind Ohio State.
LSU tops the Associated Press Top 25 poll with Alabama in second place—the roles are reversed in USA Today coaches' poll—and Saturday marks the first time in the AP Top 25 era that the top-two ranked programs have collided in the regular season since LSU and Alabama collided in Tuscaloosa in 2011.
With Ohio State taking on unranked Maryland on Saturday, the team that emerges victorious from the SEC showdown will in all likelihood claim top spot in the next weekly set of CFP ranking.
Here's a look at the main betting trends ahead of the biggest game of college football's regular season.
Moneyline
According to Oddschecker, Alabama is an 11/25 favorite in moneyline terms, with LSU a 9/5 underdog.
Since Nick Saban arrived in Tuscaloosa in 2007, the Crimson Tide has lost just four times when playing at home—to LSU in 2011, Ole Miss, Auburn and Texas A&M.
Alabama is 39-1 straight up as the home favorite since the College Football Playoff was introduced in 2014.
LSU, meanwhile, has lost its last eight meetings against its SEC West foe.
Spread
Alabama opened as a seven-point favorite, but the line has since shifted to a six-point margin with the majority of bookmakers and has low as 5.5-point with some sportsbooks.
Since 2014, the Crimson Tide is 18-22 against the spread as the home favorite and is 7-2 against the spread in their last nine games following a bye week—Alabama and LSU were both off last weekend.
The Tigers, meanwhile, are 13-3 against the spread in their last 16 road games against a team with a winning home record. Since Ed Orgeron took over as the full time head coach in 2017, LSU's overall record against the spread is 6-0 and its road record is an unblemished 3-0.
While the record is encouraging for the Tigers, no team has come within three touchdowns of Alabama in Tuscaloosa since the No.19-ranked LSU lost 24-10 in 2017.
According to Sportsbook Review, however, 55 percent of the wagering has come in favor of LSU so far.
Over/under line
The 2011 edition of the "Game of the Century" was a triple overtime slugfest that ended with LSU winning 9-6, but the over/under line in terms of total points scored is set at 55 for Saturday.
While games of this magnitude remain unpredictable, there are valid reason to believe the showdown in Tuscaloosa could be turn into a shootout.
Alabama ranks ninth in the nation in total offense and second in scoring offense, while LSU ranks fourth in both categories.
On the defensive side of the ball, both teams can more than hold their own. Alabama's defense ranks ninth in scoring and 16th in total yards allowed with 15.3 points per game and 307.5 yards per game respectively.
LSU, meanwhile, ranks 23rd in both categories, allowing 20 points and 315.4 yards per game.
