Without question one of the most highly anticipated Week One matchups is set for Sunday night when the Miami Hurricanes travel to Heart of Texas to face the LSU Tigers in the only game for Sunday. The Dallas Cowboys AT&T Stadium will host the matchup. This primetime showdown of two ranked teams will have the entire country focused on it. For Miami it’s a chance to maintain the momentum started last year in their first season under head coach Mark Richt. For LSU it’s a chance to cool off the hot seat talk in regards to lightly regarded coach Ed Orgeron.
Watch this Week 1 matchup live on Sunday, September 2, 2018, at 7:30 p.m. ET at AT&T Stadium in Arlington, Texas. The broadcast can be seen on ABC.
College Football Odds at BookMaker.eu
Miami FL -3
LSU +3
Over/Under 48
Odds Analysis
There has not been movement on the side as the oddsmakers recognize the skepticism about LSU’s perpetual quarterbacking and offensive ability. The total has been bet up from an opening of 48.
Coaching Angle
Mark Richt had a sensational debut back at his alma mater as Miami finished 10-3 with a final ranking of 13th in the country. The Hurricanes climbed all the way to second in the country before an upset loss at Pitt on Black Friday. Richt was fired by Georgia after the 2016 season and it was a remarkable comeback for him. Donations, attendance, enthusiasm and recruiting are all up at the U.
Ed Orgeron was a compromise choice to take over LSU as head coach after Les Miles was fired early in the 2016 season. Orgeron was basically hired as a front man that would stay out of the way of his two coordinators. But Orgeron clashed last year with offensive coordinator Matt Canada, who came off as disrespectful. It also didn’t help that the offense remained flat. As a result, Steve Ensminger is the new OC but has the mentality of Miles, the man run out of town for his plodding and unimaginative game plans. It all adds up to an incoherent look that likely bodes for more of the same.
Players to Watch
Both teams will have quarterbacks facing the spotlight. Fifth year senior Malik Rosier will get the start for Miami. Rosier did lead Miami to the ten wins last year but the fade down the stretch coincided with his inconsistent play. However, Richt said that Rosier has improved his timing, progressions and deep balls. Richt really wanted improvement on deep passing and Rosier has delivered all offseason. However Rosier was not a certain starter as Richt was willing to consider a change. Should he falter he may not be long for the starting job.
For LSU they will start Ohio State transfer Joe Burrow under center. Burrow is respected for his mobility and his ability to operate play action passes. Burrow transferred from Ohio State last spring. Quarterback has been a persistent problem for LSU, even in their national championship year of 2007. Burrow will be under intense pressure to turn the tide and jumpstart the usually sluggish offense.
Key Trends
Miami has failed to cover their last two games as road favorites with six consecutive games in that role going under the total. However, LSU has failed to get the money in eight of their last ten games as away dogs. Just one of their last nine in that situation went over the total.
Free ATS Pick
This is quite a challenging matchup for handicappers. Both teams have questionable quarterbacking. Their defenses have a lot of new faces breaking in. Both teams have recruited well although LSU has recruited at a high level for a longer period of time. Despite the hype over the “Turnover Chain” Miami’s 1-3 finish to last season saw their defense fall flat. LSU rates the play as the dog.
College Football Odds: LSU 17, Miami 14
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