There’s no bigger game this week than the collision of two giants in Tuscaloosa, with the No. 1 LSU Tigers and No. 2 Alabama Crimson Tide. A win by LSU would further cement the Tigers’ position above everybody else on the AP Poll. A win by Alabama would certainly see the Crimson Tide return to the top of the poll. The sportsbook opened with a 5.5 point spread in favor of Alabama, and has since moved to 6.5-points. It can’t get any better than this in Week 11. Read on for this huge matchup below.
Betting on the LSU Tigers (8-0 Overall / 5-0 Conference)
In Joe Burrow, the Tigers trust. Burrow towed his team into another victory back in Week 9, as he put up a spectacular performance in LSU’s 23-20 win in Baton Rouge over the Auburn Tigers. Burrow directed the Tigers deep into downfield multiple times with his 321 passing yards to go with a touchdown, while completing 32 of 42 completions. Burrow also rushed for 31 yards and a touchdown on 26 carries. Burrow is going to face a litmus test next time in the form of Alabama’s defense, but he’s proven on a number of times this season that he can rise to the occasion against elite defenses. For example, he went bonkers against then No. 7 Florida Gators on Oct. 12 at home, passing for 293 yards to lead LSU to a 42-28 win. LSU’s offense is a problem against any team, and would be the case against Alabama if the Tigers, especially if they remain disciplined. The Tigers are averaging 44.1 points and 525.3 total yards per game this season and are 23rd nationally with a +0.7 turnover margin per contest. LSU can get things done on defense, too, The Tigers taught Auburn that by sacking quarterback Bo Nix three times.
The Tigers are 7-2-1 against the spread (ATS) in their last 10 games.
Betting on the Alabama Crimson Tide (8-0 Overall / 5-0 Conference)
The biggest question right now for Alabama heading into its meeting with LSU is whether Heisman Trophy-winning quarterback Tua Tagovailoa ready to go in Tuscaloosa this coming weekend? Tagovailoa missed most of Alabama’s 48-7 victory at home in Week 9 due to a right ankle issue. He was replaced by Mac Jones, who filled in nicely for Tagovailoa, finishing the game with 235 passing yards and three touchdowns on 18-of-22 completions. According to Paul Finebaum of the SEC Network, Tagovailoa is trending towards the right direction in terms of his availability for the LSU matchup. Tagovailoa has reportedly started practicing with the team again, a good sign for the Crimson Tide. While it’s clear that Tagovailoa is the biggest piece on the Alabama football machine, the Crimson Tide are not overly dependent on the quarterback. For one, Alabama’s defense is capable of taking over games or at least keep the game close. The Crimson Tide are eighth nationally with an average of 15.2 points allowed per contest. The Crimson Tide are 9-1 SU and 4-6 ATS in their last 10 games overall. The total has gone under in their last two outings. Moreover, Alabama is 5-5 ATS in its last five games as the home team.
