Week six of the college football season is almost upon us and there have been several key surprises throughout the regular season to this point. Perhaps no college program has surprised the country more than the Tennessee football program.
Tennessee sits at a perfect 5-0 on the year thanks to the heroics of quarterback Hendon Hooker and head coach Josh Heupel.
Tennessee has shown the ability to play against top-25 opponents all season but is going into Death Valley with a chance to start the SEC slate at a shocking 2-0.
We have everything on the upcoming matchup here.
#8 Tennessee Volunteers vs. $25 LSU Tigers
Where: Neyland Stadium
When: 12:00 pm – ET
How to Watch: ESPN
Spread: TEN -3
Over/Under: 65
The Matchup
Tennessee has shown plenty of excellence on the road this season with wins over Pittsburgh (#17) and Florida (#20). While Tennessee’s offense has shown the ability to dominate any opponent, their defense does have some issues.
With as balanced an offensive attack as the Volunteers have though, it’s very difficult to gameplan against.
Luckily for LSU, their new coaching staff has brought in a new mantra. The Tigers have won four games in a row in miracle fashion. The team trailed Auburn 17-0 before scoring 21 unanswered to win. They were also down 13-0 to Mississippi State before furiously rallying for a 31-3 run the rest of the way.
The Tigers, under new head coach Brian Kelly, have a solid quarterback in Jayden Daniels who is not only the teams leading passer but also the program’s top rusher.
It won’t be surprising if the Tigers come out flat once again facing an SEC opponent. But Tennesee will need to be wary of a strong second half from Kelly and the LSU Tigers.
Top Prop Bets
Props Courtesy of DraftKings sportsbook. For more, click here.
Tennessee First Half Points – 15.5
The Volunteer’s offense has been one of the most successful in the first half over any other team in the SEC. Through four games, Tennessee has scored over 15 points in the first half in each game.
This is the easiest prop bet to win on because it mixes in LSU’s slow starts along with Tennessee’s offense being a top team that starts games fast.
Could there be a time when the Volunteers do not match their offensive output? Sure. But LSU’s defense hasn’t really played a top offense like this so far in the season.
First to score – Tennessee -120
Similarly to their first-half stats props, the Volunteers should be expected to score first. LSU has been trailing in games to their first two SEC opponents but Mississippi St. and Auburn are much different than their week six opponent.
Hendon Hooker has been phenomenal through four games and has the Volunteers in the top 10. With another win against the SEC’s best, there should be serious consideration to have Tennessee as one of the favorites for the college football playoff.
LSU – Over 2nd Half Points (16.5)
While Tennessee is an excellent team through four quarters, the LSU Tigers are clearly a second-half team. Brian Kelly has done a very good job of having his team believe late in games.
The Tigers are very good at making second-half adjustments, but it also could be based on the score. If Tennessee jumps out to an early and dominant lead, the LSU Tigers could be playing catch-up in a major way.
By doing so, that means the team could be expected to score a lot more points than people realize going into a top-25 game like this.
I like LSU hitting the over in points this afternoon.
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