LSU -6 at West Virginia O/U 48
Recommendation: Over
Huge showdown on Saturday night featuring second-ranked LSU at West Virginia. Dana Holgorsen and his Mountain Air offense face their best defensive opponent to-date. Holgorsen though has a history of being able to score on even the stingiest of defenses. While in Stillwater last season, the Cowboys put up 41 points on both Oklahoma and Nebraska – both of which at least somewhat comparable to that of this hyped LSU stop unit. Junior quarterback Geno Smith worked hard throughout the summer to pick up the offense (the same he ran in high school) and looks to be coming into his own. Expect a lot of quick hitters and screens to neutralize the LSU pass rush. Meanwhile, the Tigers will use the straight ahead, bullying approach to move the football. Against WVU’s 3-3-5 blitzing defense, I see that mentality as a real positive – you simply can’t fool power and athleticism. West Virginia has a strong defensive pedigree but with only four returning starters and extra pressure because of its quick moving offense, I project a significant drop-off. The Bayou Bengals are expected to return suspended wide receiver Russell Shepard and both teams are explosive in the return game. Expect plenty of points with potential for a special teams/defensive touchdown or two.
