Vegas SEC Predictions
No. 14 LSU vs. No. 13 Wisconsin (Houston, Texas)
Opening Line: LSU by 4.5
Betsided
This will be a battle of ground games in Houston. LSU comes in with probably the most hyped up freshman running back ever in Leonard Fournette. The guy has already drawn comparisons to Adrian Peterson, has been mentioned in Heisman talks, and Les Miles went as far as to compare him to Michael Jordan. That’s a lot of praise for somebody who hasn’t stepped onto the football field yet, but with all the coaches behind him and the Tigers breaking in a new quarterback, they might want to rely on the ground game a lot. Especially with so many offensive linemen back. That’s exactly what they’ll do, especially since they still have a stacked defense.
Betsided
Wisconsin, meanwhile, comes in with with a strong running game of its own, and this one is actually proven. All-Big Ten running back Melvin Gordon comes in with a lot of hype behind him for his junior year, and with nearly the entire offensive line back, expect him to get a lot of carries as well. Joel Stave and Tanner McEvoy seem to still be locked in a battle for the starting quarterback position, however, so the Badgers and Tigers might be in the same boat when it comes to uncertainty at the position.
Prediction
With two major ground games expected to be the story of this match-up, the test will be the other team’s front seven. That’s where Wisconsin takes a hit, with everybody from last year’s team gone in those positions. LSU meanwhile, returns half the line and most of the linebackers, which should make it more prepared to handle Wisconsin’s running game. I’m going with LSU and buying into the Fournette hype. And with the game close going into the fourth quarter, LSU will break it open as Fournette immediately positions himself as a Heisman candidate. Being in Houston, the Tigers also have a huge location advantage, so it’ll be like a home game for them. Not only will they win, but they will cover the spread.
LSU: 31 Wisconsin: 17