Lane Kiffin's LSU debut highlighted in Clemson vs. LSU college football preview with betting analysis

Lane Kiffin makes his LSU head coaching debut as the 11th-ranked Tigers battle the Clemson Tigers in a Week 1 college football matchup on Saturday. Clemson, who tied for seventh in the ACC at 4-4, were 7-6 overall in 2025. LSU, meanwhile, was 10th in the SEC and 7-6 overall last season. LSU leads the all-time series 4-1, including a 17-10 win last year. Visit our DraftKings promo code review and get $200 in bonus bets as a new user after $5+ in wagers here:

Kickoff is set for 7:30 p.m. ET at Tiger Stadium in Baton Rouge, La. LSU is a 10-point favorites in the latest Clemson vs. LSU odds. The over/under for total points is 50.5. Before making any Clemson vs. LSU picks, check out what SportsLine college football expert Eric Cohen has to say.

A former Phoenix sports radio host and TV analyst, Cohen joined SportsLine in 2022 and quickly became a fixture on "Early Edge" programming. He has hosted and appeared regularly on CFB, NFL and golf shows. Entering the 2026 season, Cohen was 90-68 (57 percent) on college football ATS picks, returning $1,636 to $100 players on college football betting sites. He is also 5-1 (+400) on his last six picks in LSU games on betting sites on top-rated CFB picks. Anyone following has seen huge returns.

Now, Cohen has locked in another confident pick for Clemson vs. LSU. You can visit SportsLine now to see his picks. Here are the FBS college football odds and trends for LSU vs. Clemson:

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Top Clemson vs. LSU predictions

One of Cohen's top picks for Clemson vs. LSU: He's going Under 50.5 total points (-111) as Kiffin makes his highly-anticipated debut as head coach of the LSU Tigers. Despite the offseason controversies, LSU enters as the -10 favorite at betting apps. Cohen doesn't think either team will be at its best to start the season, but knows just how tough night games at Baton Rouge can be for opponents.

"Overall, this is a really tough spot for Clemson considering the atmosphere," Cohen said. "Night games in Baton Rouge are always tough for the LSU opponents, not to mention it's Lane Kiffin's debut and Clemson is breaking in a new quarterback. On the other side, I'm not expecting LSU to be a well-oiled machine offensively just yet. It'll be another low-scoring affair between these teams." Head to SportsLine to see Cohen's Clemson vs. LSU spread pick.

How to make Clemson vs. LSU picks

In addition to going Under on the point total, he's found a crucial X-factor that makes one side of the spread a must-back. You absolutely need to see what it is before locking in any picks of your own.