CFB bad line of the week: LSU is getting too much love
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We got back on track in our bad line of the week piece this past Saturday, as Charlotte (+6.5) covered over Florida Atlantic.
With Week 6 on the horizon, here's how the board is shaping up. Let's find which spread is way off this weekend.
Week 6 lines
| Matchup | Spread |
|---|---|
| Tulane @ Houston | Houston -6.5 |
| Louisville @ Georgia Tech | Louisville -4 |
| UL Monroe @ Liberty | Liberty -19 |
| South Carolina @ Vanderbilt | SC -13 |
| Virginia Tech @ North Carolina | UNC -5 |
| Florida @ Texas A&M | Florida -6.5 |
| Coastal Carolina @ UL Lafayette | ULL -7 |
| Texas @ Oklahoma | Oklahoma -2 |
| NC State @ Virginia | Virginia -9.5 |
| Duke @ Syracuse | Duke -2.5 |
| UTSA @ BYU | BYU -34 |
| Texas Tech @ Iowa State | ISU -12.5 |
| Tennessee @ Georgia | Georgia -12.5 |
| Texas State @ Troy | Troy -7.5 |
| MTSU @ FIU | FIU -4 |
| FAU at Southern Miss | FAU -2.5 |
| Arkansas @ Auburn | Auburn -14 |
| Pitt @ Boston College | Pitt -6 |
| Kansas State @ TCU | TCU -8.5 |
| Temple @ Navy | Temple -3 |
| Alabama @ Ole Miss | Alabama -23 |
| East Carolina @ South Florida | USF -4.5 |
| Mississippi State @ Kentucky | Kentucky -2.5 |
| Florida State @ Notre Dame | Notre Dame -21 |
| Marshall @ Western Kentucky | Marshall -7 |
| UTEP @ Louisiana Tech | LT -15 |
| Miami @ Clemson | Clemson -14 |
| Charlotte @ North Texas | Charlotte -2.5 |
| Missouri @ LSU | LSU -20.5 |
Bad line of the week: LSU -20.5 (vs. Missouri)
Are bettors back on the LSU bandwagon following last week's blowout win? If so, I'd strongly suggest making it a short ride and jumping ship this week against Missouri.
It's been a tale of two weeks for the defending national champs. The Tigers lost as 16.5-point favorites in the opener to Mississippi State, which is fresh off a loss as 17-point chalk to Arkansas ... at home.
This past Saturday, LSU was gifted a get-right game at Vanderbilt to tidy up its resume. This is the win that's fresh in bettors' minds, but I can't upgrade the Tigers following a rout of the SEC's worst team.
Missouri, meanwhile, has been tested more than arguably any other team in the country so far. The Tigers opened with Alabama and played on the road against an up-and-coming Tennessee club, losing both by double digits.
The initial reaction would be to dock Missouri hard. After all, the program's been outscored by 42 points in its first two games. However, I'm not ready to downgrade a team that's tied for the toughest strength of schedule in the nation so far.
I'll gladly fade an overhyped LSU squad that's just 1-3-1 against the spread the last five contests against teams with losing records. Missouri will keep this one competitive and ultimately stay inside the 20.5-point spread.
Alex Kolodziej is a betting writer for theScore. He's a graduate of Eastern Illinois who has been involved in the sports betting industry for 12 years. He can quote every line from "Rounders" and appreciates franchises that regularly wear alternate jerseys. Find him on Twitter @AJKolodziej.