LSU Favored Over Clemson in 2026 Season Opener Amid Coaching and QB Changes

The 2026 college football season has a Week 1 rematch of a matchup we saw a year ago as the Clemson Tigers visit the LSU Tigers. LSU won this matchup 17-10 a year ago at Clemson, but much has changed since then. Each squad was ranked in the top 10 of the preseason poll entering 2025 before finishing 7-6. LSU fired Brian Kelly midseason and replaced him with former Ole Miss head coach Lane Kiffin. Dabo Swinney is back for Clemson, which is breaking in a new quarterback. LSU enters this matchup ranked No. 11 in the preseason AP poll, while Clemson is the first team out of the top 25. Kickoff for Clemson at LSU is set for 7:30 p.m. ET in Baton Rouge, La. Bet on Clemson vs. LSU and more college football games with the FanDuel promo code to receive bonus bets:

LSU is a 10.5-point favorite, per the latest FanDuel Sportsbook odds, and the Over/Under for total points scored is 50.5. LSU is trying to establish itself as an SEC contender right away under Kiffin, while Dabo Swinney is trying to get his Tigers moving back in the right direction in an ACC that's looking for a clear No. 2 option behind Miami.

If you're interested in betting on college football games like Clemson vs. LSU on the best betting apps, make sure to check out our picks for this matchup. And also be sure to check out what SportsLine experts and the SportsLine Projection Model have to say.

Clemson vs. LSU betting odds (via FanDuel)

Clemson vs. LSU money line:LSU -400, Clemson +315Clemson vs. LSU over/under:50.5 (Over -105, Under -115)Clemson vs. LSU spread: LSU -10.5

Clemson vs. LSU betting preview

How will Kiffin kick off this new era of LSU football? Oddsmakers expect it to be a resounding win for LSU in this season opener, and it does make sense why that's the case.

Kiffin is controversial, to say the least, and his exit from Ole Miss to LSU amid the Rebels' CFP run rubbed many the wrong way. But there's a reason LSU made Kiffin one of the nation's highest-paid coaches -- the guy wins. Kiffin won 10+ games twice in three years at Florida Atlantic and had four 10+ win seasons over six years at Ole Miss. He's a talented recruiter and coach, and paired with LSU's recruiting prowess, he should have the Tigers competitive as soon as this season. The Tigers will lean on a new quarterback in Sam Leavitt after he played very well for Arizona State the last few years.

As for Clemson, its head coach, Swinney, is also a bit controversial, especially in today's era of college football. Swinney has done incredible things at Clemson, but he's a vocal critic and opponent of both the transfer portal and NIL. That has set the Tigers back a bit in recent years, as they're not the ACC power they once were. Last year's 7-6 campaign was incredibly disappointing for Clemson, and the team now has to replace quarterback Cade Klubnik. Doing that is Christopher Vizzina, a former five-star recruit who is entering his fourth year with the Tigers. Clemson struggled too often offensively last year in key moments, so Vizzina will need to get that group going in order to reestablish the Tigers as a team to watch in the ACC.

Use the BetMGM bonus code CBSSPORTS to get bonus bets when wagering on Clemson-LSU and more college football games:

Clemson vs. LSU picks, prediction

LSU -10.5

This just isn't the same Clemson program we saw in the 2010s under Swinney, and while Vizzina is a talented quarterback, expecting him to lead an upset at LSU in his first game as the program's QB1 is asking an awful lot.

LSU has a ton of question marks as well, don't get me wrong, but Leavitt is a proven commodity who won a ton of big games for Arizona State, leading the Sun Devils to the College Football Playoff back in 2024. He's more experienced than Vizzina, and LSU is a more talented group top to bottom and has the luxury of playing at home in this matchup.

Bet on college football with the DraftKings promo code and get a $200 bonus: