LSU vs. Mississippi State odds, line, time: 2023 picks, Week 3 ...

Teams looking to contend in the ultra-competitive SEC West clash when the 14th-ranked LSU Tigers tangle with the Mississippi State Bulldogs in the conference opener at Davis Wade Stadium in Starkville, Miss., on Saturday. Both teams are used to winning and since 2014, LSU ranks third in the SEC with five nine-win seasons or better, and Mississippi State fourth with four. The Tigers (1-1) won last year's meeting in Baton Rouge 31-16, overcoming an early 13-0 deficit. The Bulldogs (2-0) have done a good job turning over their opponents, registering at least one takeaway in 32 of their past 39 games.

Kickoff is set for noon ET. The Tigers average 540.5 in total yards per game, while the Bulldogs average 416. LSU is favored by 9.5 points in the latest LSU vs. Mississippi State odds, while the over/under for total points scored is 54. Before making any Mississippi State vs. LSU picks, you need to see the college football predictions and betting advice from SportsLine's proven computer model.

The SportsLine Projection Model simulates every FBS college football game 10,000 times. Since its inception, the proprietary computer model has generated a stunning profit of almost $2,500 for $100 players on its top-rated college football picks against the spread. Anyone who has followed the model has seen huge returns.

Now, the model has set its sights on LSU vs. Mississippi State and just revealed its picks and predictions. You can visit SportsLine now to see the model's CFB picks. Here are several college football odds and trends for Mississippi State vs. LSU:

• LSU vs. Mississippi State spread: LSU -9.5
• LSU vs. Mississippi State over/under: 54 points
• LSU vs. Mississippi State money line: LSU -356, Mississippi State +278
• LSU: The Tigers have hit the Over on the team total in nine of their last 13 games
• MSU: The Bulldogs have won seven of their last eight games at home
• LSU vs. Mississippi State picks: See picks at SportsLine
• LSU vs. Mississippi State live stream: fubo (try for free)

Why LSU can cover

Among the many offensive weapons the Tigers possess for quarterback Jayden Daniels is junior wide receiver Malik Nabers. He is coming off a five-catch, 87-yard and one-touchdown effort in the win over Grambling State. For the year, he has 11 receptions for 154 yards (14 average) and one TD. A year ago, he was among the team leaders on offense with 72 catches for 1,017 yards (14.1 average) and three TDs.

On defense, junior cornerback Zy Alexander is already making a huge impact. The fourth-year player and transfer from Southeast Louisiana has 13 tackles, including nine solo, with two pass breakups through two games. The past two seasons at Southeast Louisiana, Alexander compiled nine interceptions, returning two for scores. In 2022, he made 24 tackles, including 17 solo, with four pass breakups and three interceptions, returning two for touchdowns. See which team to pick here.

Why Mississippi State can cover

Senior wide receiver Lideatrick Griffin continues to be a dependable receiver for quarterback Will Rogers and he leads the team with nine receptions for 116 yards (12.9 average) and two touchdowns. In last week's overtime win over Arizona, Griffin caught five passes for 83 yards (16.6 average) and two touchdowns. In four seasons with Mississippi State, he has 85 receptions for 948 yards (11.2 average) and seven scores. Coming into the year, his best prior season was in 2022, when he caught 40 passes for 502 yards (12.6 average) and four touchdowns.

Defensively, the Bulldogs have two linebackers that have been lighting up their opponents on a weekly basis. Seniors Nathaniel Watson and Jett Johnson have combined for 35 stops through two games. Watson leads the way with 18 tackles, including six solo, with 1.5 sacks for 16 yards, two pass breakups, one interception, one forced fumble and one fumble recovery. Johnson has 17 tackles, including 10 solo, with two sacks for four yards, two interceptions and two forced fumbles. See which team to pick here.

How to make Mississippi State vs. LSU picks

SportsLine's model is leaning Under on the point total, projecting the teams to combine for 52 points. The model also says one side of the spread hits in more than 60% of simulations. You can see the model's picks at SportsLine. 

So who wins LSU vs. Mississippi State, and which side of the spread hits more than 60% of the time? Visit SportsLine now to see which side of the spread you need to jump on, all from the model that has notched a profit of almost $2,500 on its top-rated college football spread picks, and find out.