The LSU Tigers (+2000 to win the national title) will open the season at home in Baton Rouge against a visiting FBS-power in the Georgia Southern Eagles. Will the Tigers avoid an upset in front of their home crowd? Or will the Eagles put a massive dent on LSU’s College Football Playoff chances right away?
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Betting Preview for the Georgia Southern Eagles vs LSU Tigers Week 1 College Football Game on August 31 2019
Where: Tiger Stadium , Baton Rouge
When: Saturday, August 31 , 2019, 7:30 PM ET
Line: Georgia Southern Eagles (+27.5) vs. LSU Tigers (-27.5) – view all 2019 NCAAF lines
TV Broadcast: ESPN
Betting on the Georgia Southern Eagles (0-0 Overall / 0-0 Conference)
The Eagles recovered from a 10-loss 2017 season by winning as many games the following season. That’s a remarkable turnaround over a short time span, but that’s also a glaring testament to the effectiveness of the team’s coaching staff. That’s Chad Lunsford, who did so great of a job as an interim head coach last season that it led to the Eagles handing him the gig full time. And in his second year as the top decision-maker on the sidelines for the Eagles, he’ll have almost every important piece on the team’s offense a year ago. That includes quarterback Shai Werts, who threaded the air for 987 passing yards to go with 10 touchdowns and just an interception in 2018. The Eagles no longer have that season’s top receiver and rusher in Wesley Fields, but Werts can certainly make up for a lot of those rushing yards, as he’s a dual-threat quarterback who also rushed for 908 rushing yards and 15 rushing scores. The ground attack is really the strength of this Georgia Southern squad, especially with former Oklahoma Sooners running back J.D. King transferring to the Eagles.
Betting on the LSU Tigers (0-0 Overall / 0-0 Conference)
The quarterback situation in Baton Rouge should be a lot better now that Joe Burrows has enough experience. In other words, the Tigers’ attack is bound to get better not only because of that but also thanks to the arrival of a new offensive coordinator in Joe Brady, who should be able to smoothen the edges of LSU’s offense which averaged 32.5 points per game in 2018. Like the Eagles, the Tigers also lost their best rusher in 2018 with Nick Brossette no longer in LSU, but he’ll be replaced by Clyde Edwards-Hel, who produced 658 rushing yards and seven touchdowns on the ground a season ago. Plus, Burrows is capable of taking the pigskin to the house with his legs, having rushed for 399 yards and seven touchdowns last year. On defense, the Tigers will rely upon eight returning starters and nine of their best tacklers. They also have arguably the best safety in the nation in Grand Delpit, who’ll be paired up with the tall and athletic JaCoby Stevens. Shades of Patrick Peterson and Tyrann Mathieu? Don’t be surprised if Delpit and/or Stevens live up to the comparisons to those two current NFLers.
The over is 3-0 in the Tigers’ last three games.
Writer’s Prediction
The LSU Tigers win, 41-16.
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