LSU vs Auburn prediction, picks: College Football odds

The LSU Tigers return home for another all-Tigers clash between themselves and their historic rival, Auburn. Tiger Stadium will fittingly play host to the divisional duel between LSU and Auburn. The hosts will be eager to build on their win at Missouri, whereas the visitors played well against Georgia two weeks ago.

The SEC West showdown is set to kick off at 6 p.m. CT from Baton Rouge, Louisiana. ESPN will carry the national broadcast with Joe Tessitore and Jesse Palmer on the call.

Caesars Sportsbook, the official odds partner of Bet.NOLA.com, is favoring the hosts by a wide margin with the over/under set at 61 total points.

Let's take a closer look at the odds, highlight some picks and make a prediction for this Week 7 bout:

Auburn Tigers (3-2) at LSU Tigers (4-2)

Time/TV: Saturday at 6 p.m. (ESPN)

Spread: LSU -11

Over/Under: 61

Moneyline: LSU -430, Auburn +328

TOP PICK

Auburn vs. LSU OVER 61 points (-110 at Caesars Sportsbook)

Trends go out the door with this one. These two teams haven't combined for 61 points since 2015, which was also the last time that LSU beat Auburn by double digits. These rivalry games have been unpredictable over the years with so many great teams participating in these series.

That leads us to this year.

Jim Derry and I both said it on Bayou Bets this week, LSU is a much more talented team than Auburn this year. This might be the biggest talent gap on offense we've seen in a while with the Bayou Bengals being one of the nation's top scoring teams. Auburn's offense plays football too ... not well.

There has been a lot of talk about the visiting Tigers' defense. While LSU has faced some tough defenses already this year, Auburn will be its biggest test. Nevertheless, few teams can keep the hosts from scoring 40+. I think Jayden Daniels and Co. do a lot of the legwork en route to another big day.

Matt House's defense continues to make improvements but it still gives up a few more points than it should. This game should be very similar to the 45-21 bout back in 2015 with the host Tigers winning big with a lot of points scored.

Prediction: LSU 41, Auburn 24 (Over 61)

OTHER PICKS

Jayden Daniels UNDER 2.5 passing touchdowns (-169 at Caesars Sportsbook)

Jayden Daniels is playing Heisman Trophy-level football right now. The LSU signal-caller has seemingly cemented himself as the second-best quarterback in school history this season. However, one of the only opponents that made him look incredibly average during his stint in purple and gold was Auburn.

Daniels was 8-for-20 for 80 passing yards with zero touchdowns last year through the air. While the visiting Tigers have arguably regressed this year, their pass defense is still pretty darn good. Auburn has yet to allow a three-touchdown passer and only Texas A&M's Max Johnson has managed multiple touchdowns through the air against it.

Logan Diggs OVER 94.5 rushing yards (-115 at Caesars Sportsbook)

Despite Daniels posting Heisman numbers over the course of the season, Mike Denbrock's tried desperately to get LSU's running game going as of late. Logan Diggs has emerged as the star in an overcrowded backfield for the Tigers. He's carried the rock 81 times this season for 488 yards, good for 6.0 yards per carry.

The Notre Dame transfer has posted games of 115, 41, 97, 101 and 134 yards thus far. Every time he's touched the ball 15+ times, he's gone over 100 yards. Given the struggles Daniels faced last season with Auburn, I'd imagine LSU will try and keep it on the ground, despite the visitors defending the run well. LSU's offensive line — which is arguably the best Auburn has faced to date — will help lift Diggs to another 100+ yard performance.

Brian Thomas Jr. OVER 68.5 receiving yards (-125 at Caesars Sportsbook)

If you've followed our picks columns for the last few weeks, you'll know that Brian Thomas Jr. has come through in some big ways. He only had four receptions for 66 yards against Missouri as the under on his player prop cashed. However, this is music to the ears as it saw his total move from 83.5 receiving yards last week to 68.5 receiving yards against Auburn.

Thomas Jr. has gone over 68.5 yards in four of six games this season, coming close in the other two with 60 and 66 yards respectively. He also leads the nation in touchdowns, so if you need an ATTS play, there's an extra -130 play.