With college football season on the horizon, ESPN Chalk's college football experts -- Phil Steele, "Stanford Steve" Coughlin and Chris Fallica -- combine to give you betting previews of the top 25 teams, according to the ESPN College Football Rankings. They break down each team's strengths and weaknesses, along with season win total bets and national title odds.
Odds from Westgate Las Vegas SuperBook as of Aug. 23.
LSU Tigers
National title odds: 15-1 (opened 12-1)
Season win total: 9
FPI win total projection: 8.3
Phil Steele
Strengths: Running back Derrius Guice is running behind my No. 4-rated offensive line in the country. Despite only five returning starters on defense, the Tigers rank in my top 15 in all three areas (defensive line, linebacker, defensive back) and have a top-10 defense.
Weaknesses: LSU was just No. 54 in my special teams rankings last year. Several of my receiver write-ups for other teams say, "and they add LSU transfer," so a lot of talent has left in the past two years from that spot and the Tigers graduate three of the top four wide receivers from 2016.
Over/under (9): With the move of the Florida game last year, LSU will play five true SEC road games and I cannot recall any other team ever doing that. I have them as a 'dog in three games so my number would be nine, but facing the toughest schedule in the country, maybe they will suffer some attrition and I will lean with the under.
National title odds (15-1): I have the Tigers coming in third in their own division so I would have put the odds closer to 25-1 or 30-1, making this a no play.
"Stanford Steve" Coughlin
Over/under (9): If you have read any of my writing or listened to our podcasts (Behind the Bets with Chris Fallica) you know that my favorite setting, surroundings and fan base in all of college football have to do with the LSU football program. I'm still in disbelief as to what transpired in the time that Leonard Fournette was on campus in Baton Rouge. So many ups, but more important way too many downs. And the problem with the disappointing things that happened was that they were on the biggest possible stage. Whether it was the Tigers' awful start to the season at Lambeau Field last year or the past two offensive efforts against Alabama, they just have been flat-out hard to watch. So, when I get to this year's team, I just can't put my eggs in that basket even though it's so tempting because there is so much to like with the team, the changes, the home-field advantage. But I will pass and be more than willing to congratulate them if they were to exceed expectations. You know I love you Baton Rouge. Under nine wins for me.
Chris Fallica
Over/under (9): The last time LSU won 10 games in the regular season came in 2012. In the past four years, LSU has won nine, eight, eight and seven regular-season games, winning the final game each time. So the under was already in the bag headed into the final weekend. LSU is just 9-9 vs. the SEC West the past three years and 19-13 in SEC play the past four. Talent though, has never been an issue in Baton Rouge. LSU was a different team under Ed Orgeron and coupled with new offensive coordinator Matt Canada, this could be the season the LSU offense emerges from the dark ages and makes this a complete team. Leonard Fournette is gone, but Derrius Guice is more than talented enough to put up huge numbers. It's fair to assume Matt Canada will improve Danny Etling. And we know Dave Aranda will shape the Tigers' defense into one of the best units in the country. Despite all of LSU's deficiencies this year, the Tigers lost just 10-0 to Alabama in Baton Rouge -- and that was with QB issues galore. I know LSU has to go to Tuscaloosa this year, but remember, in Alabama's past six regular-season losses, four have come at home, including to LSU in 2011. The Tigers have to go to Florida, Ole Miss and Tennessee as well, but each of those teams have their own issues. LSU was a pick of many to win the national title in 2016. Maybe the Tigers were just a year too early. I think they are 11-1 or 10-2.
National title odds (15-1): Many can't get past those five SEC road games. But two of those are at probably the two weakest teams in the West and Tennessee, which is a 50-50 game, as is the game at Florida. I think it's coming down to the game at Alabama, and if the LSU defense can give Bama as much trouble as it did last year, and the offense improves the way it should with Canada, one could view it as getting 15-1 on LSU beating Alabama, because should the Tigers do that, their price will plummet. I liked it better at 20-1, but it's still a pretty good value.