College Football Picks: LSU vs. Clemson Best Bets
Clemson and LSU meet for the second and final edition of the season-opening home-and-home series. LSU took home the victory in Death Valley, South Carolina, a year ago, 17-10. A lot has changed for both teams since then. For Clemson, head coach Dabo Swinney has started to get with the times, bringing in 11 players from the transfer portal. Meanwhile, if you're just waking up from a coma, LSU has replaced Brian Kelly with Lane Kiffin as head coach, bringing with him plenty of drama and many new faces.
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LSU vs. Clemson Betting Odds for Week 1
Spread: Clemson +10.5 (FanDuel Sportsbook); LSU -10 (Caesars)
Total: Over 50.5 (BetMGM); Under 50.5 (FanDuel Sportsbook)
Moneyline: Clemson +320 (BetMGM); LSU -390 (Caesars Sportsbook)
LSU vs. Clemson Betting Picks for Week 1
Both teams have a lot of questions they hope to answer in this matchup. For Clemson, they look to replace former quarterback Cade Klubnik, a three-year starter who holds many of the career passing records in program history. Filling his shoes will be Christopher Vizzina, who is a redshirt sophomore who sat behind Klubnik for his entire run as starter with the Tigers. Vizzina has seen limited action with just 105 career pass attempts and one start. However, Vizzina performed well in his lone start a year ago, completing 69% of his passes for 317 yards, three touchdowns and no interceptions.
Clemson will need to replace its long-time QB, but it will also need to replace defensive interior mainstays, Peter Woods and T.J. Parker. The Tigers will look to veterans Will Heldt and Andy Burburija to replace the production lost. Clemson also stockpiled some depth on the D-Line as they targeted the area heavily, with five of their 11 transfer portal adds being D-Linemen or edge rushers.
On the other sideline, LSU will look to answer their own questions, the first big one being if Sam Leavitt is worth the price tag. Leavitt was one of the most sought-after quarterbacks in the transfer portal; however, questions remain about whether he can be the guy he was that led Arizona State to the College Football Playoff two seasons ago, after a foot injury derailed his 2025 campaign. The Tigers also have questions at wide receiver, as they have no true standouts from last year's roster or among players who came over with Kiffin.
The one part of LSU's team that may not be a question is the defense. LSU brings back five starters from a year ago, including former All-SEC linebacker Whit Weeks, while also adding All-SEC pass rusher Princewill Umanmielen, who came over from Ole Miss.
LSU vs. Clemson Expert Pick: Under 50.5 (DraftKings Sportsbook)
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LSU vs. Clemson Predictions for Week 1
With lots of uncertainty around both teams, one certainty is that LSU has a lot of talent on defense, and Clemson has continued to be solid defensively while being less than stellar offensively in years past. This could be a game where both teams start slow to get the offense off the ground, which has me more confident in the under. However, LSU does seem to have a reasonable talent advantage overall; if this line drops back down to 10 or below, I would like that pick quite a bit as well.
LSU vs. Clemson Player Props for Saturday, September 5th
Bryant Wesco o51.5 Receiving Yards (Prize Picks):
It has been noted that co-featured wide receiver T.J. Moore has been banged up throughout practice lately. If Moore is not 100%, I would expect Wesco to see a bit of an uptick in the target share. With the middle of the LSU defense being as stout as it is, Clemson may have a tough time running the ball, and Wesco could be a big beneficiary
Gideon Davidson u48.5 Rushing Yards (FanDuel):
As stated above, the strength of the LSU defense is going to be the defensive front seven. It could be tough sledding in the run game for Clemson. With Clemson also bringing in running back Chris Johnson from SMU, I would also expect to see a split workload in the backfield.
