LSU Tigers vs. Mississippi State Bulldogs Betting Odds, College Football Pick

LSU owns the recent rivalry with Mississippi State, winning 14 of the last 15 meetings straight up, going 11-4 against the spread in the process. However, the Tigers lost last year's meeting in Baton Rouge. LSU hopes to start another winning streak in this series when the teams meet Saturday night in Starkville.

Point spread: The Tigers opened as three-point favorites, according to sportsbooks monitored by Odds Shark (line updates and matchup report).

College football pick, via Odds Shark computer: 23.3-21.9 Bulldogs

Why the LSU Tigers can cover the spread

LSU was supposed to open its season last Saturday against McNeese State, but the game was postponed due to lightning. So the Tigers jump right into this season with an SEC West bout against the Bulldogs.

LSU returns 15 starters this season, its most in recent memory, as it looks to bounce back from an 8-5 campaign last year. Nine starters are back on offense, including Heisman Trophy candidate running back Leonard Fournette and three along the offensive line, while six starters return on defense.

The Tigers have big things on their minds for this season and certainly don't want to start off on the wrong foot.

Why the Mississippi State Bulldogs can cover the spread

The Bulldogs began this season with a 34-16 victory at Southern Miss, spotting the Eagles an early 10-7 lead, then scoring 27 of the last 33 points of the game. Mississippi State outrushed Southern Miss 205-102, converted eight of 14 third-down situations and held the Eagles to just 4-of-17 on third downs.

The Bulldogs only return seven starters this season, but they include Heisman hopeful Dak Prescott at quarterback, last year's top two receivers and five of last year's top seven tacklers on defense.

Finally, Mississippi State broke a 14-game losing streak to LSU last year with a 34-29 victory down at Death Valley, and that game wasn't as close as that score might indicate.

Smart pick

LSU has a chance to jump back into national championship contention this season, while Mississippi State has a lot of holes to fill. And playing on the road means the spread is more amenable to the Tigers than it would be if this game were being played on their home turf. The smart betting choice here is with LSU.

Betting trends

LSU is 14-1 SU in its last 15 games against Mississippi State.

LSU is 3-1 SU and ATS in its last four games in September.

Mississippi State is 5-2 ATS in its last seven games in September.

All point spread and lines data courtesy of Odds Shark, all quotes gathered firsthand unless otherwise noted. Check out Twitter for injury and line movement updates and get the free odds tracker app.