Huskies vs Tigers NCAA Football Spread/Handicapping
They like their team sports in Seattle, and Husky Stadium can be a spirited place to play, but UW is in for a treat when it travels to Death Valley to take on one of the nation’s premier college football teams.
Washington Huskies at #3 LSU Tigers
Saturday, Sept. 8, 2012, 7 pm EST
Venue: Tiger Stadium, Baton Rouge LA
Gambling Odds from Sportsbook.com
Spread: Washington +24, LSU -24
MoneyLine: Washington +1400, LSU -2500
Over/Under: 53
Washington kicked off its season by squeezing out a 21-12 victory against San Diego State, but that’s not really an accurate litmus test when you play one of the SEC’s best squads in Week 2. The Tigers rolled North Texas 41-14 last week, and North Texas truly was fortunate to score 14 on LSU’s vaunted defense. LSU probably has the best pass rush in the country; the unit should terrorize junior Huskies QB Keith Price early and often. Keeping Price upright will be paramount to the Huskies just keeping this game close.
It’s not like Washington is without talent; the Huskies should present an intriguing match-up for the LSU defense with TE Austin Seferian-Jenkins, a special athlete that can work the seam well (as evidenced by Seferian-Jenkins finishing third on the team in receiving in ’11). Running back Bishop Sankey has some wheels and the interior of the UW offensive line is in good stead. However, the two new sophomore starters at tackle will be truly tested against LSU ends Sam Montgomery and Barkevious Mingo – two stud athletes that might be ready for the NFL right now. [soliloquy id=”82219″]
The LSU offense looks far more balanced with transfer Zach Mettenberger starting under center and junior RB Spencer Ware smashing into the second level. The Tigers’ huge offensive line should overwhelm the Washington front seven at the point of attack and the result should be LSU rolling up points with ease.
Washington is just 1-9 in its previous 10 road openers, so this is traditionally a situation the Huskies have trouble with. LSU probably considers this game the only semi-test it gets early in the season before the Tigers square off against Auburn in Week 4. North Texas didn’t do the trick last week and LSU should also dismantle Idaho next week. Washington is more talented than both of those outfits; the Huskies are likely a middle-of-the-road team in the Pac-12 North division and could drop a couple scores on the Tigers, if LSU gets complacent.
Look for the LSU defense to be gnarly, even without dismissed DB Tyrann Mathieu, and anticipate the Huskies barely breaching the scoring output that North Texas represented in the opener last week, if that.
Washington vs. #3 LSU Score Prediction: LSU 35, Washington 7
