LSU vs West Virginia – Sportsbook Betting

The battle between two top 25 teams in the nation happens this Saturday night between the 22nd ranked West Virginia Mountaineers and the number 15th ranked LSU Tigers. Watch the game on ESPN2. The sportsbook opened the total on this game at 45 but it dropped to 42. Let’s explore the reasons and make a prediction on the game.

The college football odds have set the sports book spread favoring the LSU Tigers by -9 point and the game total is currently 42 points.

Sportsbook Betting Lines

September 25, 2010

West Virginia Mountaineers +9 -110
LSU Tigers -9 -110
Game Total 42

Location: Tiger Stadium – Baton Rouge LA
Game Time: 9:00pm
TV: ESPN2

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The West Virginia Mountaineers began the season at Number 24 and moved up a couple of spots after beating Marshall, Maryland, and a cupcake in the season opener. They are out to prove they belong in the upper half of the top 25 rankings. Despite the three wins, in the sportsbook the Mountaineers have only covered one of the three games against the spread.

The LSU Tigers have had much tougher challengers in the opening three games, but they still sit at 3-0. The covered the sportsbook pointspread 2 of the three games.

The Mountaineers quarterback Geno Smith has been excellent so far this season. Smith has completed 70.3 percent of his passes for 800 passing yards, seven touchdowns and just one interception. His best game came against Maryland where he threw 268 yards and four touchdowns.

In the backfield for the Mountaineers is Noel Devin, as Devin is averaging 118 yards on the season.

The Tigers offense isn’t want will win this game for them this weekend, as the team ranks just 61st in the nation with a 28.7 points per game average and the passing game has been the culprit, as they rank near the bottom of the nation at 115 overall.

Conversely, the team’s defense is a wall; they’ve held opponents to just 11.3 points a game that puts them at sixth in the nation.

The WVU defense isn’t on the same level of the Tigers but against Maryland they looked solid limiting the Terrapins to 227, 140 of those yards came on two big plays but otherwise the defense was solid and should hold strong limiting the Tigers offense. This explains the three-point drop in the sportsbook total.

This game will be a classic offense versus defense struggle and with the Mountaineers defense locking down; they will keep the game tight enough that the nine-point spread will be plenty of points.

NCAAF Betting Pick: WVU Mountaineers +9