Will Auburn Beat Kansas St.? Who Wins Mississippi St.-LSU? Week 4 Vegas SEC Predictions Here
Saturday Blitz Vegas SEC Predictions Week 4
Game of the Week
Mississippi State Bulldogs at No. 8 LSU Tigers
Line: LSU by 9.5
This is the most exciting SEC West match-up of the year so far. Featuring a consistent SEC power looking to return to the SEC championship game and an SEC West team that is trying to prove it is among the SEC elites, we’ll find out a lot about the SEC West as a whole simply by watching this game.
Here is Mississippi State’s first test. After going on a hot streak to end last year and starting this year with a few blowout wins, they now have the chance to prove to the world that Dan Mullen’s sixth team is ready to play football with the big boys. To do that, they’ll need to use what they’ve been using the past few weeks: run the ball effectively and use dark-horse Heisman candidate Dak Prescott. Prescott already has 11 touchdowns on the year and is averaging 323 total yards a game so far. His dual-threat abilities and accurate passing combined with the Bulldogs rush offense could be dangerous. Don’t forget this is a Tigers team that was gashed by Wisconsin and Melvin Gordon on the ground, and they only won that game because the Badgers had no passing game. MSU has a much better quarterback who could give them fits.
LSU will want to focus on what LSU focuses on: defense, forcing turnovers, running the ball, and not making mistakes in the passing game. Anthony Jennings appears to be settling down as the starter, and Leonard Fournette and Kenny Hilliard both look like superstars right now. Hilliard has played well all three games, but Fournette has yet to show what he can do against a good team. He will need to do that Saturday. Darrel Williams and Terrence Magee are also good backs, and Jennings only adds to the run game. When they do pass, Travin Dural has to continue to come up big, as he has in every game this season. He is a deep threat that will change any game. Finally, the Tigers defense will need to make plays in the secondary and hold Prescott and Bulldogs running back Josh Robinson in check in the running game. If they do that last thing, MSU has no chance no matter what.
Prediction
Mississippi State will give LSU fits with its rushing attack all game, and they’ll even have a lead at halftime, making it seem like the Tigers are in serious trouble. But LSU will respond in the second half by sticking to its own rushing attack, key plays from Jennings and Dural, and key turnovers on defense. The Tigers will pull away in the fourth quarter, and this will be very reminiscent of the Wisconsin comeback until then.
LSU: 31 Mississippi State: 21