It looked like LSU was about to dominate the college football world when it beat Clemson 51-10 to start the season. But Lane Kiffin’s bunch lost to Ole Miss, came back with a few wins, and then last week got outfoxed by Kentucky in a 35-34 overtime loss. And now there’s a problem.
LSU is talented enough to beat anyone, but it’s one more loss away from realistically being out of the College Football Playoff. That won’t be easy with a brutal schedule over the second half of the season.
Mississippi State has had two weeks to get over the 56-23 loss to Alabama. It isn’t an easy slate, but at 4-1, it’ll still be in the mix for big things if it can get out of Baton Rouge with a win.
Mississippi State vs LSU: Quick Hits
- LSU starts a run of three home games in the next four weeks, going to Auburn next before hosting Alabama and Texas.
- Mississippi State starts its own run of four home games in five weeks after this, hosting Oklahoma before going to Texas.
- LSU has won three straight in the series ever since the 44-34 loss to open up the 2020 season. That came right after the Tigers’ national title season.
How To Watch Mississippi State vs LSU
Date: Saturday, October 17, 2026
Game Time: 12:00 PM ET
TV: ESPN
Location: Tiger Stadium, Baton Rouge, LA
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Why Mississippi State Will Win
The defense will have to step up its game.
The Bulldogs have been winning on their amazing offense, but the defense has held its own in key spots. It might be tough to hang with the Tigers blow for blow, so taking the ball away is a must.
Mississippi State came up with two takeaways in two of the last three games, and turnovers have been a big issue for LSU, with ten in six games. Why does the defense have to come up big?
Why LSU Will Win
Mississippi State might be without star quarterback Kamario Taylor. He’s trying to get past a leg injury suffered in the Alabama loss, and now he and top running back Fluff Bothwell are questionable at best.
There’s also the home-field advantage side of this. Ole Miss and Kentucky are good, but LSU should’ve been better in both road games. At home, the Tigers have been untouchable, winning by a combined score of 194-44 in the four games.
Mississippi State vs LSU Prediction, Betting Lines
It’ll be a different LSU team than the one that walked off the field against Kentucky. It’ll be more confident, explosive, and it won’t let up – this won’t be a back-and-forth fight like it was against the Wildcats.
Of course, this changes if Taylor is at 100% for the Bulldogs, but even if he’s ready to roll, LSU will be razor-sharp with a much better defensive performance than last week.
LSU 37, Mississippi State 20
Latest Consensus Line: LSU -14.5, o/u: 57.5
ATS Confidence (out of 5): 2
Must See Rating (out of 5): 4
Consensus line based on BetMGM, Caesars, DraftKings, and FanDuel. Game odds refresh periodically and are subject to change. If you or someone you know has a gambling problem and wants help, call 1-800-GAMBLER.