The LSU Tigers’ loss last week against Auburn had a lot of consequences. The upset dropped them to 2-2 on the season, sent the Tigers tumbling out of the national rankings and eliminated their College Football Playoff hopes. Oh yeah, and it also cost them their coach.
With the firing of Les Miles, who was in his 11th season with the Tigers, alongside offensive coordinator Cam Cameron, the LSU players will certainly be experiencing a lot of changes coming into Week 5 as they team sets to take on the Missouri Tigers at home.
Missouri, who is also 2-2, is the underdog in this one, but will look to capitalize on LSU’s week of turmoil.
Watch this regular season Week 5 matchup live on Saturday, October 1, 2016, at 4:30 p.m. ET
at Tiger Stadium.
NCAA Football Odds at BookMaker.eu
Missouri +13
LSU -13
Over/Under 51
Odds Analysis
While LSU will be shaken, it could also be motivated. The gamblers like the spread, as the Tigers are being wagered on at 74 percent to cover the spread. Miles was quite the players coach, though, so his dismissal could be tough to totally factor.
The scoring total has been deemed a bit too low by the bettors as nearly 70 percent of them are taking the “over” as the correct choice.
Letdown Situation
It’s going to be interesting to see how LSU handles the last week of turbulence. The Tigers were expected to be in the hunt for the national championship with talent on both sides of the ball, but the late call that negated a touchdown as time expired dropped them to .500 and caused the dismissal of Miles.
LSU still has enough talent to turn it around, but one must question the collective psyche of the group at this point. One minute, the Tigers stole a tough road win at Auburn, and the next their dreams were dashed.
MIssouri isn’t the type of opponent which should put a scare into a team like this, but if LSU’s players don’t rebound quickly, this one could get interesting.
Player to Watch
Leonard Fournette -- If Missouri has any plans of springing the upset, it must be able to slow down one of the most gifted athletes in college football. The LSU running back has yet to set the world on fire this season but is capable of a breakout at any minutes, especially against a middle of the pack defense.
Fournette has 67 carries for 386 yards and two touchdowns this season. He has gone over 100 yards rushing in each game he has played, but hasn’t quite been the dominant force expected.
While the Heisman Trophy seems like a longshot for Fournette, he still has plenty of time to start putting up big numbers on a weekly basis.
Free ATS Pick
Missouri comes into this game fresh off a shutout win over Delaware State where the offense scored 79 points. The Tigers will looking to carry that momentum into this contest in hopes of pulling off the upset, but the change in competition is like night and day.
Missouri runs a pass-heavy offense behind sophomore quarterback Drew Lock. Lock has thrown for 1,508 yards with 14 touchdowns and three interceptions. J'Mon Moore is the team’s top receiver with 26 catches for 434 yards and six touchdowns.
LSU started the season ranked as the No. 5 team in the nation, but were upset by a rising Wisconsin team in the season opener by a score of 16-14. The Tigers banked wins over Jacksonville State and Mississippi State in weeks two and three before the big stumble against Auburn last week.
LSU’s offense is averaging only 21 points per game as there has been no passing threat. Can the Tigers iron out their problems after a slow start? The belief here is that the team has so much more talent than Missouri that it will be a steamroll.
NCAA Football Odds: LSU 35, Missouri 17
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