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The Ole Miss Rebels take on the LSU Tigers. Check out our college football odds series for our Ole Miss LSU prediction and pick.
The Ole Miss Rebels made the Sugar Bowl last year and are unbeaten this year. They are thriving under head coach Lane Kiffin. One of the signature characteristics of the new and improved Rebels in these past two seasons (2021 and 2022) under Kiffin is that they can win games with their offense and their defense. They don't have to score in huge numbers to win games. Ole Miss won some physical games last season with timely defensive stands. This year, Ole Miss beat Kentucky thanks to red-zone stops which kept the Wildcats at bay. Ole Miss scored fewer than 28 points against Kentucky but was still able to prevail. Lane Kiffin neglected defense in his years at USC. His teams were soft and could be pushed around. Kiffin learned from Nick Saban and in his head coaching stint at Florida Atlantic how to cultivate a complete program and develop a roster which could win on both sides of the ball. This year's Ole Miss team has reaffirmed the importance of developing offense-defense balance, although it has to be said that Ole Miss has a backloaded schedule and will begin to learn a lot more about itself starting with this game against the LSU Tigers.
LSU's loss to Florida State in the season opener looks worse now after the Seminoles lost three straight games. The loss to Tennessee doesn't look as bad after the Vols defeated Alabama. Nevertheless, LSU certainly looks like a team which will lose at least four if not five games. The schedule is brutal. Alabama is still to come on the slate. Arkansas won't be easy. Neither will Texas A&M. If LSU wants to show that it is ready for a tough and challenging second half of its schedule, winning against Ole Miss would make a significant statement.
LSU did take a step forward last week by hanging 45 points on the Florida Gators in The Swamp. An offense which has sometimes sputtered was able to get the most out of its talent. The cautionary note about that game is that Florida has a mediocre defense which has struggled this season. Skeptics will say that LSU needs to deliver that same kind of performance against a much better defense. Yet, while the skeptics might expect more from this offense, maybe the simple fact that the offense performed well could be the actual catalyst for even more improvements from quarterback Jayden Daniels. If Daniels can play to the height of his capabilities, this offense could become extremely dangerous, and Ole Miss could be in trouble.
Here are the Ole Miss-LSU NCAA Football Odds, courtesy of FanDuel.
College Football Odds: Ole Miss-LSU Odds
Ole Miss Rebels: +1.5 (-110)
LSU: -1.5 (-110)
Over: 70.5 (-110)
Under: 70.5 (-110)
Why Ole Miss Could Cover the Spread
The Rebels, as mentioned above, have a defense which is capable of winning games even when the offense is not firing on all cylinders. Against Jayden Daniels, Ole Miss should be able to contain a quarterback who blows hot and cold and has not established a track record for being consistent at a very high level. This is a good matchup for the Ole Miss defense.
Why LSU Could Cover the Spread
If Ole Miss quarterback Jaxson Dart makes mistakes — which he will do a few times in each game he plays — LSU can gain the leverage it needs to win this game. Daniels might not lead a lot of 80-yard scoring drives in this game, but turnovers by Ole Miss could give LSU the short fields it will probably need to win.
Final Ole Miss-LSU Prediction & Pick
Ole Miss' defense will make the big stops against Daniels when it really counts. Both quarterbacks are talented but erratic. Daniels will probably make the game's biggest mistakes. Ole Miss wins.
Final Ole Miss-LSU Prediction & Pick: Ole Miss +1.5
