The Texas A&M Aggies are set to face the LSU Tigers this weekend. Check out our college football odds series, which includes our Texas A&M-LSU prediction, odds, and pick.

The Texas A&M Aggies have had a wild journey this season. They started horribly in September, with quarterback Haynes King getting hurt and giving way to backup Zach Calzada, who wasn't ready to take over the offense. A&M scored just 10 points in a narrow win over a Colorado team which isn't very good. If Aggie fans had wondered if that game was just a temporary hiccup, they soon learned it was not an isolated accident. It revealed a deeper set of flaws in the offense. A&M was stuffed by Arkansas and contained by Mississippi State in a home-field loss. The Aggies seemed like a team which might finish no better than sixth in the seven-team SEC West. The people who study college football odds and spend time thinking about a Texas A&M-LSU pick were quite cognizant of this reality.

Yet, just when it seemed the Texas A&M season would fly off the rails, Calzada and his teammates saw the light when the lights were the brightest. On national television in prime time against Nick Saban and Alabama, Calzada played like a reborn quarterback. Suddenly, everything in Jimbo Fisher's offense made sense. Calzada effortlessly hit his receivers for big gains against Alabama's shell-shocked defense. A&M's defense wasn't great, but it made enough red-zone stops to limit Alabama to field goals and prevent the Crimson Tide from scoring in the 50s. Calzada was able to deliver the goods and lead the Aggies to a 41-38 upset of Bama. Everything changed for A&M after that point … well, for the next several weeks.

The fun and the momentum didn't last forever. The joyride did come to an end. Ole Miss's defense smothered the Aggies and held them under 20 points. A&M watched the Rebels gain second place in the SEC West. That makes 2021 an unfulfilled season for Fisher and his coaching staff.

LSU only wished it had a season as good as A&M's. The Tigers have struggled to reach the .500 mark for the second straight season, floundering so badly that coach Ed Orgeron — a national champion in 2019 — was fired. LSU's offense has been a disaster nearly all year long, a win over Florida being a notable exception. The defense was terrible in the first two months of the season, but coordinator Daronte Jones figured out solutions in November, holding Alabama to six yards rushing and then limiting Arkansas to 13 points in regulation. The sad part of those two games against Bama and Arkansas, for anyone considering a Texas A&M-LSU pick, is that the Bayou Bengals still lost those games because quarterback Max Johnson and the rest of the offense crumbled. LSU hopes its new head coach will swiftly be able to repair a broken offense in Baton Rouge.

Here’s how the bookmakers have set the odds:

College Football odds: Texas A&M-LSU Odds

Texas A&M: -6.5 (-112)

LSU: +6.5 (-108)

Over: 47.5 (-105)

Under: 47.5 (-114)

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Why Texas A&M Could Cover the Spread

The LSU offense is a total mess. Quarterback Max Johnson can barely function. A&M defensive coordinator Mike Elko should feast on Johnson and hold LSU under 17 points, if not under 14 or 13.

Why LSU Could Cover the Spread

The Tigers have figured out how to play on defense and are going against an A&M offense which looked terrible against both Auburn and Ole Miss in recent weeks. LSU should expect to hold A&M under 20 points.

Final Texas A&M-LSU Prediction & Pick

This game should be close because neither team will pull away from the other. The best play to make on this game is the under, since both defenses are ascendant and both offenses frankly stink right now.

Final Texas A&M-LSU Pick: Under 47.5