LSU quarterback Sam Leavitt was listed as doubtful to play Saturday night against Ole Miss, and honestly, the betting world barely flinched. You’d think a star QB potentially sitting out a massive Week 3 matchup would send the lines spiraling, right? Nope. The point spread dipped a little, from LSU -3 to -1.5, but then it quickly bounced right back to -2.5. Caesars Sports head of football trading Joey Feazel summed it up perfectly, admitting he’s “not sure what to think” about the whole situation. He made it clear that if Leavitt was truly out, the line would be “on the other side of pick ’em,” making Ole Miss the favorite. So, are the oddsmakers just calling LSU’s bluff here?
The Kiffin Factor and the Unmoved Line
This Saturday night game in Oxford is a monster for both sides. No. 7 LSU comes in at 2-0 straight up and 1-1 against the spread, fresh off blowout wins over Clemson and Louisiana Tech. They’re playing tough. No. 8 Ole Miss also sits at 2-0 SU and 1-1 ATS, having already passed a big test by beating Louisville 41-38 as 6-point favorites in Week 1. This isn’t just any game, either. It’s coach Lane Kiffin’s return to Ole Miss, a team he left last December. Despite the Leavitt news, the public is all in on LSU. Feazel confirmed, “A lot of love coming in on this LSU team. Ever since LSU beat up Clemson, that’s been the case.” He doesn’t expect that to change, predicting heavy LSU action and money on the Over, even though the total actually dropped from 59.5 to 57.5 initially. It’s a classic public vs. sharps showdown, and the public clearly believes in LSU, Leavitt or not. If Leavitt *can* play, Feazel thinks he *will* play, which explains why that line just isn’t moving as much as you’d expect. The stakes are too high.
Texas Tech’s Struggles and Houston’s Opportunity
Beyond the LSU-Ole Miss drama, another interesting contest brews on Friday night between No. 22 Houston (2-0 SU, 1-1 ATS) and No. 13 Texas Tech (2-0 SU, 0-2 ATS). Texas Tech, frankly, hasn’t looked good. Last week, they were 25.5-point favorites against Oregon State, and they still trailed 24-21 in the fourth quarter before scraping out a 35-24 victory. Yikes! That’s not the kind of performance you want from a ranked team. Caesars opened Texas Tech as 9.5-point favorites, but sharp money immediately hammered Houston at +9.5 and +8.5, dropping the line to Texas Tech -7.5. Feazel was blunt, “Texas Tech has come out flat the first couple weeks.” Houston is getting more action on both the spread and the moneyline. It’ll be fascinating to see if Texas Tech gets more “love” from bettors as kickoff approaches, or if the early Houston trend continues. It feels like Houston smells blood in the water.
This college football Week 3 is shaping up to be a wild one. Keep an eye on that LSU line right up until the 7:30 p.m. ET kickoff Saturday, and see if the public’s faith in LSU, and possibly Leavitt, holds strong. And for Texas Tech, they better wake up for their 8 p.m. ET Friday game, or Houston could pull off a stunner.
This article was created with AI assistance and published under Seattle On Tap’s editorial standards. See our Editorial Policy.
Originally reported by Fox Sports.
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