Quite frankly, I'm shocked that Auburn is being priced in this range. What exactly does War Eagle have to do to get some respect? The Tigers just went into Georgia's house, where the Bulldogs practically never lose, and handed the Dawgs a 27-24 defeat. Call it plucky, call it the Deep South's Oldest Rivalry doing what it does best, but shouldn't that performance carry over into another rivalry matchup on the Plains? Why can't Auburn win the Battle of the Tigers? They deserved to be ranked, and after a monumental victory in Athens, you would think that they command more respect from the market. Apparently not, and I'm happy to take advantage. Besides, what exactly has LSU done to justify its allure?
The Bayou Bengals blanked Mississippi State without its best player, beat up on a Clemson team that's more name than threat, and trampled arguably the SEC's biggest disappointment in Texas A&M. Oh, and they smoked LA Tech and McNeese State. Wow....
But against opponents of consequence, LSU has faltered twice. Ole Miss clipped them in Oxford and Kentucky exposed the Tigers in Lexington in a double overtime thriller. Ostensibly, I see no reason why Auburn can't do the same at Jordan-Hare. The market is asking us to overlook Auburn's biggest victory while continuing to pay a premium for LSU's reputation. I won't. War Eagle outright.
LSU vs Auburn prediction: Auburn ML (+251) available at time of publishing. Playable to +235.
