College Football Sportsbook: Louisiana Tech vs LSU

Louisiana Tech Bulldogs (3-6 SU, 4-4 ATS) at LSU Tigers (7-2 SU, 4-4-1 ATS)

Saturday, November 14 - 8 PM ET

BetUS NCAA College Football Sportsbook Odds:  LSU -22.5, Total 46.5

Here are some of the college football betting trends as they relate to this matchup:

• LT has covered four of its last six games
• LT has lost four of its last five games SU
• LT has covered two of its last 13 road games
• LT has lost its last five road games SU
• LT has played nine of its last 12 road games UNDER the total
• LSU has covered five of its last 16 games
• LSU has won eight of its last ten games SU
• LSU has played four of its last five games UNDER the total
• LSU has covered three of its last 12 home games
• LSU has won four of its last five home games SU
• LSU has played its last six home games UNDER the total

LSU Tigers generally does not do well in the college football sportsbook odds when they are the home team, covering three of its last 12 games in Baton Rouge. They have also been known to slack off against outmanned opposition in these situations; last year, they had fallen behind by a 31-10 score against Troy before rallying for 24 unanswered points in the fourth quarter to win.

Now they find themselves against not a Sun Belt team, but a WAC squad that is also a geographic rival in some respects. Of course, that rivalry means much more to Louisiana Tech, the upstart program that would love to make gains in recruiting territory. LSU is coming off a game against Alabama, where the Tigers played their hearts out but came in on the short end of a 28-15 defeat after suffering some injuries. They are important here, because they involve key skill players.

Jordan Jefferson, the starting quarterback, suffered an ankle injury against the Tide, and even though he is going to dress for this game, Les Miles doesn't want to use him if at all possible. Instead he'll go with Jarrett Lee, whose ineffectiveness created the opportunity for Jefferson last season. Lee's stock-in-trade, it seemed, during last season's starting tenure was making fatal mistakes; he threw 16 interceptions, and seven of them were run back for touchdowns, which made a difference in the college football sportsbook fortunes of the Bayou Bengals.

Louisiana Tech Bulldogs is coming off a bug game of its own, as the Bulldogs played host to undefeated Boise State, charging back after a 27-7 halftime deficit to make a game of it, before falling by a 45-35 margin. That, coming on the heels of a two-point loss against Utah State and a one-point defeat to Idaho, has made this a tough stretch for Tech.

Charles Scott, who is by far the Tigers' leading rusher, is out of this game, and out for the season, with a broken collarbone. I don't know if these injuries make a difference, but it does hinder LSU's ability to get out there and pull away from this never-say-die opponent, particularly with the erratic Lee at the controls.

In a small recommendation, we're going to take points with Louisiana Tech, the 22.5-point underdog in the BetUS NCAAF odds.

JAY'S PLAY:  LOUISIANA TECH +22.5 *

(Graded on a scale of 1-4 stars)