With 100,000 fans set to descend on Death Valley as No. 4 LSU hosts No. 1 Alabama under the lights on Saturday night, millions of fans will watch on television for what may go down as the biggest regular-season game of the year. The Crimson Tide are 14.5-point favorites in the latest Alabama vs. LSU odds, having spent time at -14 at various points throughout the week. The total is set at 52.5 points with bettors wondering what gives between Tua Tagovailoa and the Alabama offense and Ed Orgeron's LSU defense. Before you make any Alabama vs. LSU picks and predictions, you'll want to see what the advanced computer model at SportsLine projects for Saturday night's 8:00 p.m. ET showdown on CBS.
The SportsLine Projection Model simulates every FBS college football game 10,000 times, and those who have followed it have seen massive returns. Over the past three years, this proprietary computer model has generated a jaw-dropping $4,210 profit for $100 bettors on its top-rated point-spread picks.
The model made some huge calls in Week 9, including nailing Oklahoma State's outright upset of No. 6 Texas. It also was all over Georgia (-6.5) covering against Florida, and recommended California (+12) against Washington, as well as Kentucky (+7) against Missouri. Anyone who has followed it is way up.
Now, the model has simulated every possible play for Alabama vs. LSU 10,000 times and the results are in. We can tell you the model is leaning towards the Under, and it has also locked in a strong against the spread pick that hits in over 55 percent of simulations. You can only see that pick at SportsLine.
For Saturday night, the strength of LSU's entire team is a secondary loaded with NFL-caliber talent. They torture opposing quarterbacks and they're taking it upon themselves to make sure that Tagovailoa's jaunt towards New York City and the Heisman Trophy hits a serious speed bump.
Starting with Greedy Williams, who draft pundits are pegging as a potential top-five pick at the 2019 NFL Draft, LSU has playmaker after playmaker in the back end. Safeties Grant Delpit and John Battle have combined for eight interceptions this season and Williams has combined with fellow cornerback Kary Vincent Jr. and Kristian Fulton to defend 15 passes. Their ability to slow down Tagovailoa and to potentially turn him over could make or break the game.
However, that's easier said than done against Alabama, and a cover is no guarantee.
Expect Alabama to try to wear down LSU's defense with its versatile running game. Najee Harris, Damien Harris, Brian Robinson Jr. and Joshua Jacobs have all rushed for at least 240 yards this season. The quartet will try to gash an LSU rushing defense that has allowed at least 200 yards rushing in two of its last three games.
Combine that with what quarterbacks Jalen Hurts and Tagovailoa add on the ground and you have six potential ball carriers for LSU to account for. An effective rushing attack will eventually open things up for Alabama's lethal vertical passing game.
So which side of the Alabama vs. LSU spread cashes in over 55 percent of simulations? Visit SportsLine now to see which side of Alabama vs. LSU you need to jump on, all from the model that has returned over $4,000 in profit for $100 bettors.