The headline matchup on the Week 3 schedule of the 2026 college football season pits LSU Tigers against Ole Miss Rebels on Saturday night.
Unsurprisingly, College Gameday is hitting the road to Oxford, Mississippi for this highly anticipated Lane Kiffin Bowl.
Kiffin, the new head coach at LSU and the former Ole Miss boss, returns to Oxford with both teams undefeated at 2-0.
The Tigers clobbered Clemson 51-10 and then eased past Louisiana Tech 45-14, while after opening with a 41-38 nail-biting victory over Louisville, the Rebels hammered Charlotte 41-9 this past weekend.
With Saturday's game set for 7:30 pm ET on ABC, it’s time to break down the odds and discuss the best bets to make.
LSU Tigers vs. Ole Miss Rebels betting picks and predictions
LSU Tigers -3 (-105)
Saturday promises to be an Oxford circus, but the reality is that the circus has already begun.
Kiffin listed quarterback Sam Leavitt as doubtful on Wednesday even though there were no indications whatsoever of the Arizona State transfer dealing with any kind of injury.
Leavitt has since been upgraded to questionable, so there is no reason to think that he will be sidelined from this game.
He has thrown for 574 yards through two games, but he has been picked off four times. Fortunately for the former Michigan State and Arizona State standout, he may not have to do too much with his arm this weekend.
Ole Miss ranks 79th in defensive success rate against the run through two outings and now meets an LSU rushing attack that racked up 309 yards against a respectable Clemson defense.
On the other side of the ball, it has been impossible to run on the Tigers so far in 2026.
Their pass rush is also a force, having already recorded 10 sacks - five of those by Princewill Umanmielen. The senior defensive end has also delivered six of his team's 17 tackles for loss.
Given the small spread of no more than a field goal, the value is on Kiffin and company against an opponent that just barely beat Louisville.
Over 53.5 (-105)
Although LSU's defense looks like a formidable unit, Ole Miss can fight fire with fire thanks to quarterback Trinidad Chambliss and running back Kewan Lacy.
It's hard to argue against that combination comprising the best QB-RB duo in all of college football.
Chambliss accounted for 30 total touchdowns last season (22 passing, eight rushing) despite not starting the first two games.
He has already produced six touchdowns (five passing, one rushing) in 2026.
Lacy has rushed five times for 148 yards and three scores after amassing 1,567 rushing yards and 24 touchdowns as a sophomore.
For Kiffin's offense, Leavitt and RB Dilin Jones have combined for 214 yards on the ground and seven rushing touchdowns.
Three different pass-catchers have already logged double-digit receptions and four have gained more than 100 receiving yards through two games.
The Tigers should be able to have their way with a Rebels defense that surrendered 469 total yards to Louisville in Week 1.
Expect plenty of fireworks between two teams that bring potent offenses to the table and, as such, the over looks like the way to go.
Trinidad Chambliss over 277.5 passing yards (-114)
Chambliss opened with a 336-yard effort at Louisville's expense.
Even in a laugher against Charlotte, the Ferris State transfer had time to rack up 225 yards on 23-of-26 passing before getting taken out early in the fourth quarter.
He now faces an LSU defense that has been utterly dominant against the run so far this season.
Clemson and Louisiana Tech combined for 36 yards on 57 carries - yes, an average of well less than a yard per attempt.
It's safe to say that the Rebels' offense will have to focus on the airwaves against the Tigers.
Dating back to last season, Chambliss has thrown for at least 277 yards in seven of his last eight games - including for more than 300 on five occasions during this stretch.
Read more college football picks and predictions on site.
LSU Tigers vs. Ole Miss Rebels odds
LSU Tigers | -150 |
Ole Miss Rebels | +125 |
Spread | LSU -3.0 |
Total Points | O/U 57.5 |
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This article was written by a partner sports writer via Spotlight Sports Group. All odds displayed on this page were correct at the time of writing and are subject to withdrawal or change at any time.
