College Football Free Pick: LSU vs Florida
Matt Dominique | October 6, 2018
On Saturday the “Swamp” hosts a college football showdown when the LSU Tigers visit Gainesville to play the Florida Gators in an SEC clash. LSU is ranked No. 6 in the nation but Florida has won three straight including two wins on the road to open SEC play.
The current line has LSU favored by 3 points with the over/under point total at 44.
LSU has scored less than 31 points just once this season and has not allowed over 21 in any of its games. The Tigers scored a season high 45 in their win last week of 45-16 over the Ole Miss Rebels. Joe Burrow tossed three touchdowns and rushed for one.
The offense for LSU is a balance between run and pass with Burrow throwing 131 passes without a single interception, while Nick Brossette has rushed for six touchdowns and has a per carry average of 4.7 yards.
Burrow also rushed for 96 yards against the Rebels and scored for the second time on the ground in that game. The offense for LSU ran up 573 yards of offense against Ole Miss and while Burrow rushed for 96 yards he also passed for 292.
LSU is 2-0 in its last two visits to the Swamp by a total of four points. Tigers kicker Cole Tracy is leading all active kickers with 78 career field goals.
Florida is coming of a 13-6 win over the Mississippi State Bulldogs in which the Gators used a suffocating defense to keep the Bulldogs out of the end zone.
Florida’s defense is allowing 14 points per game which is No. 9 in the nation and has allowed 10 points or more just twice this season.
Feleipe Franks leads the Gators offense. The Florida quarterback has thrown two or more touchdowns passes in each of Florida’s first four games, before not throwing any against Mississippi State in a defensive struggle for both teams.
Franks completed close to 50% of his passes in the three games previous to Mississippi State but completed 23 of 31 last week for 219 yards in last week’s win although none of his completions was for more than 20 yards.
Although the Florida offensive line has tightened up, opponents have sacked the Gators quarterback seven times in five games. If Franks wants to go long against the Tigers man to man coverage, his line will have to give him time or the LSU defense will swarm the signal caller.
Prediction: Florida has beaten Tennessee and Mississippi State to open its SEC schedule, but LSU has already knocked off the likes of Miami, Auburn and Ole Miss. Give the 3 points and take the Tigers to win and cover 24-17
