No. 7 Florida (6-0) and No. 5 LSU (5-0) meet in another top-10 showdown for the SEC, and this one will be at Tiger Stadium in Baton Rouge, La.
LSU brings in the nation's top-scoring offense, at 54.6 points per game. The hire of Saints passing coordinator Joe Brady has been the talk of the season, and quarterback Joe Burrow has 1,864 yards, 22 touchdowns and three interceptions. The Tigers can add another quality win to an impressive resume.
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Florida (6-0) can beat a top-10 for the second time in as many weeks, and is packing the nation’s fifth-best scoring defense (9.5 ppg). Backup quarterback Kyle Trask will play through a knee injury.
Florida-LSU has been one of the SEC's hotter rivalries in recent seasons, and Saturday should be no exception. With that in mind, here's everything you need for Saturday's matchup between the Gators and Tigers:
MORE: Get the latest NCAA odds & betting advice at Sportsbook Review
Florida vs. LSU odds
- Spread: LSU -14
- Point total: 54.5
- Moneyline: Florida -110, LSU -110
LSU opened as a 14-point favorite at Sportsbook Review, but the line has dropped one point to 13. A total of 52 percent of the wagering has come in favor of the Tigers.
Florida vs. LSU all-time series
Florida leads the all-time series 33-29-3. The Gators also are 14-10 when both teams are ranked. Florida won the last meeting 27-19 in The Swamp.
Three trends to know
— The last seven meetings between the Gators and Tigers have been decided by nine points or fewer. LSU routed Florida 41-11 at Tiger Stadium in the last blowout in 2008.
— LSU is 8-4 against the spread against ranked opponents since Ed Orgeron took over as head coach in 2017. The Tigers, however, are 6-6-1 against the spread as a home favorite in that same stretch.
— Florida is 4-1 against the spread as an underdog and 4-1 against the spread against ranked opponents under Dan Mullen, and that includes last week's outright upset against Auburn.
MORE: SN Week 7 college football rankings
Three things to watch
Joe Burrow's big test
The Tigers rank second in the FBS with 416 passing yards per game, but Florida presents their biggest test yet. The Gators lead the FBS with 12 interceptions and rank third with 26 sacks. Shawn Davis leads a Florida secondary that has four players with multiple interceptions.
Kyle Trask's efficiency
Trask — who will play through an MCL sprain — has been successful with a 72.2 completion percentage and seven touchdowns to two interceptions. He has kept Florida on schedule, and should be able to have some success against the LSU secondary, which has just five interceptions. That said, he'll need to watch out for Derek Stingley Jr., who has two interceptions and eight pass breakups this season.
First-half swings
Florida has allowed just nine points in the first quarter this season, and they have started strong on both sides of the ball. LSU, meanwhile, outscores opponents 83-27 in the second quarter, a nod to their in-game adjustments. The team that handles those first-half swings will be in the driver's seat in the second half. Just keep in mind the Gators outscore opponents 64-7 in the fourth quarter, too. If they are in position after three quarters, then watch out.
Stat that matters
The winning team has rushed for at least 175 yards in six of the last seven meetings, and that included 200-plus rushing yards the last two years. Neither team is married to the run, but Clyde Edwards-Helaire and Lamical Perine are important role players in this top-10 showdown.
MORE: Week 7's biggest prove-it games
Prediction
It's a strength-on-strength matchup, and don’t be surprised if Florida is more aggressive than usual early in the game with Trask. That’s risky, but it might set the tone for the defense, which has to slow down receivers Justin Jeffersona and Ja'Marr Chase. Burrow breaks a halftime tie with two third-quarter touchdown drives, and the Tigers hold on in the fourth quarter.
LSU 31, Florida 24
