LSU vs Alabama NCAA Football Odds
The 2013 edition of this matchup isn’t being hyped as “The Game of the Century,” but anytime the LSU Tigers and Alabama Crimson Tide take the field, you know you’re in for a battle.
No. 13 LSU (7-2, 3-2 SEC) @ No. 1 Alabama (8-0, 5-0 SEC)
Saturday, Nov. 9 8:00 PM ET @ Bryant-Denny Stadium
Spread: Alabama -12.5
O/U: OFF
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Entering Week 11, the Crimson Tide are holding steady with the No. 1 spot in the BCS, while the Tigers come in at No. 13. Both teams have BCS implications on the line—not to mention pride in this heated rivalry.
LSU
The LSU Tigers have had a balanced, dangerous offensive attack all season, and they’ll look to keep both of those trends running strong against a tough Alabama defense.
So far on the year, LSU has passed the ball for 279.4 yards per game (28th in the country), while rushing for 200.6 (31st).
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Those numbers have resulted in the Tigers collecting an average of 40.2 points per contest, which is good enough for the 16th-best mark in the FBS.
All that said, putting up points is always a challenge against the Crimson Tide. Alabama is giving up the fewest points per game in the nation through 10 weeks, and it will look to put some serious pressure on quarterback Zach Mettenberger throughout this entire matchup.
LSU hasn’t looked great during its last few outings, and while that’s cause for concern to some, it’s “flying under the radar” to others.
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The young defense will do everything it can to disrupt A.J. McCarron, and despite having two losses already on the year, the Tigers defense will come in confident and ready to attack.
Alabama
Against LSU, Alabama doesn’t have the luxury of planning for a one-dimensional attack. It must get pressure on the quarterback, it must be physical against the run, and it absolutely must tackle in space, as plays to the outside will set up rushing sets up the middle of the field.
It goes without saying that the player to watch for Alabama is A.J. McCarron. He has 16 touchdowns on the year to just three interceptions, and quite frankly, it’s a shame that he’s being left out of most Heisman conversations. But while McCarron will garner most of the national attention, look for C.J. Mosley on the defensive side to make some noise. Nick Saban calls him the QB of that side of the field, and at the linebacker position, he has the potential to make big-time plays both in the secondary as well as the opposing backfield.
The truth is this: LSU’s offense has been very good this season, but Alabama’s defense has been downright dominant. Even the Crimson Tide’s offense has made headlines, creating the perfect storm heading into this game.
The last three times these two teams met during the regular season, we saw one squad walk away with a victory of four points or fewer. This time around, however, expect the Tide to take it with more assurance. The spread says 12.5 points in Alabama’s favor, and until proven otherwise, we’ll give it to them.
Prediction: Alabama 34 – LSU 21
