Two wounded animals meet in The Swamp this weekend, hoping to heal themselves by further injuring the other. No. 21 LSU comes into the game on a two-game losing streak, having lost to Alabama and Texas A&M by a combined score of 80-36. The Tigers will be facing a Florida team in a similar situation.
The Gators have lost two straight as well, falling to Georgia and Texas by a combined score of 83-37. They're 4-5 and need two wins in their last three games to get to a bowl. One of those games is Florida State, the other two are this one and Ole Miss. The latter two are ranked, which isn't great for the Gators; all five of their losses this season have come against teams currently ranked by the College Football Playoff.
Florida vs. LSU: Need to know
Billy Napier will be back at Florida next season: It's never great when you enter a season on the hot seat, and everybody is already talking about how impossible your schedule is, but that's what Florida coach Billy Napier faced this year. Fortunately for Napier, it appears he'll survive. Florida announced last week that it will not be replacing Napier no matter how the Gators finish the regular season. It was a decision that rankled a few fans, seeing that Napier is 15-19 at Florida. But it also provides hope for the future. There is a belief that a big reason why Florida announced Napier's return was in hopes of keeping their promising young QB DJ Lagway from leaving via the transfer portal after the season and rebuffing any possible (read: near certain) advances from other schools.
LSU's playoff hopes may not be dead: They're certainly on life support, but the Tigers have three winnable games remaining on the schedule. If they can win this game and beat Vanderbilt and Oklahoma at home, they'll be 9-3 with a win over Ole Miss. Since the College Football Playoff's inception in 2014, 22 three-loss teams have finished in the top 12 of the final poll, including LSU in 2018. Of course, it needs to be considered that when those rankings were put together, the committee didn't need to worry about playoff spots for anybody outside the top four. So we don't know if they'll approach things differently in this 12-team world. I suspect they will, but I'm just one person! I could be wrong! Keep the faith, Tigers fans! LSU is a +700 bet to make the CFP, according to DraftKings.
LSU has won five straight against the Gators: There's a long history between these two, and it's been an even battle throughout the years. LSU holds the all-time edge at 34-33-3, and it's this recent winning streak that's given the Tigers the advantage. It's also a rare winning streak. It's the longest LSU has ever enjoyed against the Gators, surpassing a four-game streak from 1977 to 1980. Florida's longest win streak in the series is nearly double that, however, as the Gators won nine straight between 1988 and 1996.
How to watch Florida vs. LSU live
Date: Saturday, November 16 | Time: 3:30 p.m. ET
Location: Ben Hill Griffin Stadium -- Gainesville, Florida
TV: ABC | Live stream: fubo (Try for free)
Florida vs. LSU prediction, picks
The biggest question mark surrounding this game is the availability of Florida's Lagway. He's listed as questionable after suffering a hamstring injury in Florida's loss to Georgia. The Gators are a much different team with Lagway, and LSU has had serious trouble dealing with mobile quarterbacks. His presence will have a major impact. My suspicion is that he will play, but rather than take a side, I'd rather take the betting the total. Florida should score against LSU with Lagway, and the Tigers should be able to move the ball on the Gators. Pick: Over 54.5
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