College Football

LSU vs. Tennessee: Prediction, pick, spread, football game odds, live stream, watch online, TV channel

LSU vs. Tennessee: Prediction, pick, spread, football game odds, live stream, watch online, TV channel

No. 25 LSU and No. 8 Tennessee are set for a cross-division SEC clash on Saturday as the Tigers host the Volunteers for the first time since 2010. LSU has won the last five in the series, but the Tigers are slight underdogs on their home field against a Tennessee team that has surged to its highest ranking in the AP poll since 2006.

LSU just cracked the poll for the first time this season under first-year coach Brian Kelly after improving to 4-1 with a 21-17 victory at Auburn. The Tigers began the season with a devastating 24-23 loss to Florida State but have ticked off four straight victories since then while seeking to cement an identity under their new staff.

Whoever wins this game figures to enjoy a good bit of national attention as the midway point of the 2022 season approaches. Including this game, LSU plays three of its next four at home against teams ranked in the top 10, and a victory would reinforce just how difficult it is to win at Tiger Stadium before No. 9 Ole Miss and No. 1 Alabama visit in the coming weeks.

The Volunteers, meanwhile, can set themselves up for a gargantuan home showdown with the Crimson Tide next week if they emerge from Death Valley with a 5-0 record.

LSU vs. Tennessee: Need to know

Star receiver questions: Coming off a breakout 1,000 yard season in 2021, Tennessee’s Cedric Tillman was off to a fast start this season before suffering an ankle injury in Week 3 against Akron. Tillman underwent surgery, and coach Josh Heupel was non-committal this week about whether he will play against LSU. 

As for the Tigers, Kelly has repeatedly found himself answering questions this season about Kayshon Boutte. Ranked No. 10 in CBS Sports’ 2023 NFL Draft Prospect Rankings, the former five-star has just 11 catches for 97 yards in four games this season. Boutte missed the Tigers’ win over New Mexico for the birth of his child, but that one-game absence only partially explains why the star junior ranks just fourth on the team in receptions and sixth in yards. “Would he like the ball more? Absolutely,” Kelly said, “but he’s handled himself in the right way and he continues to work for the team.”

A wild finish: The last time these teams met at Tiger Stadium in 2010, a particularly wild ending unfolded that might be painful for Tennessee fans to relive. LSU fans likely have fond memories, though, considering the Tigers escaped with a 16-14 victory following an…

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