Texas A&M Aggies vs LSU Tigers: Betting Guide

• Game: Texas A&M Aggies (8-3) at LSU Tigers (5-6)
• Location: Tiger Stadium
• Day/Time: Saturday, 7 p.m. ET
• Television: ESPN

Texas A&M vs LSU Betting Lines

Head-to-Head

The Aggies have won two of the last three meetings with LSU but the Tigers have owned this matchup ever since crushing Texas A&M in the 2011 Cotton Bowl (the season before the Aggies moved into the SEC). LSU has won eight of the last 10 games between these two teams, even with the Aggies winning 20-7 last season behind 134 rushing yards from Isaiah Spiller.

LSU leads the head-to-head series 34-21-3.

Texas A&M Aggies

Next game: TBD

Last Game

The Aggies cruised in a late-season non-conference buy game on Saturday, crushing Prairie View A&M 52-3. The Panthers are a solid FCS team in the SWAC but they were no match for Texas A&M, which ran for 279 yards and got a pair of touchdown passes from Zach Calzada. Jimbo Fisher’s team also held Prairie View A&M to 154 yards of total offense.

Texas A&M comfortably covered as huge 41½-point favorites and hit the over on its own.

Injury Report

The Aggies will be without wide receiver Demond Demas (leg), who’s out for the season, and they could also be missing fellow pass-catcher Chase Lane (leg), who’s questionable. Defensive backs Erick Young and Brian Williams are also questionable.

LSU Tigers

Next game: TBD

Last Game

LSU took advantage of its own non-conference tilt in Week 12, beating Louisiana-Monroe 27-14. Quarterback Max Johnson had a big day, throwing for 319 yards and two touchdowns while Tyrion Price-Davis added 82 yards on the ground. Malik Nabers (four catches for 143 yards) was Johnson’s top target as things were probably a little closer than the Tigers would have liked.

The Tigers didn’t come close to covering as 29-point home favorites. The under hit with ease.

Injury Report

LSU is also dealing with a bunch of defensive injuries. Defensive back Sage Ryan and defensive lineman Maason Smith are questionable for Saturday, as is offensive tackle Cameron Wire. Defensive back Major Burns and defensive tackle Joseph Evans are out.

Aggies vs Tigers Betting Analysis

This game won’t exactly be a shootout. Texas A&M has the country’s third-best scoring defense and LSU has had trouble consistently scoring points. The Aggies limited Auburn to three points, upset Alabama and held Arkansas to 20 points, so it’s clear they can hang with the best of the best in the SEC.

But, they’ve had some trouble against lesser teams, like with their loss to Mississippi State. The Aggies have won five of their last six games so the recent results have been much better, but there still is the concern of a letdown or trap game with LSU having lost three of four overall.

Still, if you’re making college football picks, the Aggies are probably the safer bet even with Calzada’s uneven play. Johnson has been really good for LSU under center. However, he doesn’t have top target Kayshon Boutte (due to injury) and the Tigers’ defense has been bad in SEC play.

The line on the BetUS sportsbook opened up at 6½ points, which is where it remained with a few days left until kickoff. Look for the line to inch a bit more in Texas A& M’s favor, though, so it might be a good idea to jump on it now before any significant movement happens.

LSU at +205 on the moneyline isn’t bad value, all things considered, but it’s a risky choice if you’re betting online. The Tigers’ only Top 25 win this season was against Florida a few weeks ago, and it’s now clear just how much of a mess the Gators were this season. It would be tough for LSU to pull off this upset.

As for the point total, the under might be the way to go. Texas A&M has two elite running backs in Spiller and Devon Achane so the Aggies will probably try to keep this game on the ground to chew up the clock. LSU will try to attack the A&M secondary but with the Tigers’ middling offensive results and the Aggies’ strong defensive backfield, that plan might not result in many points.