Tuesday, Sept. 15, 2026 | 2 a.m.
Las Vegas sportsbooks coiled up firmly among the hostages Lane Kiffin captured successful his rampage for attraction of the full assemblage shot satellite that began much than 9 months ago.
In an unprecedented move, the archetypal acceptable of betting lines released connected the existent 2026-2027 assemblage shot play weren’t for the nationalist championship. They weren’t for the Heisman Trophy, which typically follows soon aft oregon posts concurrently to the title futures, either.
Instead, the archetypal likelihood posted were for a Week 3 crippled betwixt LSU and Ole Miss. It was, of course, a merchandise of the play Kiffin created erstwhile it became wide helium was leaving the second for the erstwhile and trying to strong-arm the Rebels into letting him manager successful the College Football Playoff anyway.
It didn’t work, arsenic Ole Miss yet stood steadfast connected making Kiffin permission for 1 of its archrivals, if that was his decision. The Rebels reached the semifinal of the College Football Playoff without Kiffin, though retaining astir each of his unit for the postseason, but animosity inactive simmered.
That made this Saturday’s LSU astatine Ole Miss crippled possibly the astir anticipated showdown of the year, hence the betting enactment astir a twelvemonth up of time.
And hopefully nary 1 stake Ole Miss backmost then, due to the fact that their concern would beryllium underwater. The Rebels opened a 2.5-point favourite implicit the Tigers past December, but the enactment has since changeable successful the different direction.
LSU is present a 3-point favorite, reaching arsenic precocious arsenic -3.5 astatine 1 sportsbook Sunday, up of its travel backmost to Ole Miss. It won’t a instrumentality for conscionable Kiffin, arsenic 4 players and a fistful of assistants followed him from Oxford, Miss., to Baton Rouge, La.
The 2 biggest-name players stayed enactment successful backmost Trinidad Chambliss and moving backmost Kewan Lacy, however, to springiness Ole Miss fans immoderate anticipation of exacting retribution and restrain the betting enactment from flying excessively acold away.
Both LSU and Ole Miss picked up large wins against ACC opponents successful Week 1 — Clemson and Louisville, respectively — earlier sleepwalking done noncover blowouts successful Week 2. LSU bushed Louisiana Tech 45-14 arsenic 36-point favorite, portion Ole Miss bushed Charlotte 41-9 arsenic 45-point favorites.
I besides slipped successful Week 2, replacing the highs of Week 0 and Week 1 with an disfigured 20-31 people against the dispersed picking each game. The plays were a little disastrous 7-8, meaning the file is inactive highly profitable and 11 games implicit .500 successful that class connected the year. But the wide grounds present stands astatine 50-54 (24-13 connected plays, 16-23 connected leans and 10-18 connected guesses).
Read beneath for picks connected each Football Bowl Subdivision crippled successful Week 3, including LSU astatine Ole Miss. Lines are the champion presently disposable successful Las Vegas connected the chosen side. Picks are labeled successful 1 of 3 assurance categories – plays, leans and guesses.
Big Games
Houston +7.5 astatine Texas Tech, over/under: 53. This enactment was arsenic precocious arsenic Houston -14 successful the offseason, and inactive would person astatine slightest stuck successful the treble digits if not for Texas Tech’s uninspiring 35-24 triumph astatine Oregon State arsenic 26-point favorites past week. But Houston wasn’t each that overmuch amended against Oregon State successful Week 1, winning 33-20 arsenic 20.5-point location favorites. Texas Tech’s struggles are alarming but it astir apt was holding backmost schematic wrinkles until Saturday’s commencement of Big 12 play, and could ever spell much to seasoned backup backmost Thomas Castellanos for a spark. Lean: Texas Tech -7.5.
Florida State +20.5 astatine Alabama, over/under: 49. It’s hard to privation thing to bash with Florida State fixed however atrocious it’s looked, but this fig is making that impossible. Alabama opened a too-low -14.5, drifted into a much due -17.5 scope earlier settling astir 3 touchdowns. That mightiness beryllium excessively overmuch to laic for an unexperienced squad inactive moving done immoderate issues. Lean: Florida State +20.5.
SMU +2.5 astatine Louisville, over/under: 60. The fig looks astir right, arsenic these mightiness beryllium the apical 2 teams vying for the ACC Championship Game spot other Miami. It should beryllium a adjacent conflict down to the wire, and successful specified a game, it’s easier to spot SMU seasoned backmost Kevin Jennings than still-developing Louisville counterpart Lincoln Kienholz. Guess: SMU +2.5.
Mississippi State +3.5 astatine South Carolina, over/under: 59. Walkover SEC opponents nary longer, some teams look similar they’re successful presumption to acold eclipse preseason expectations that placed them successful the bottommost of the conference. The Gamecocks person been playing without a mates of their apical NFL prospects, borderline rusher Dylan Stewart and tackle Jacarrius Peak, but person hinted they’ll instrumentality against the Bulldogs. That would beryllium a large boost. Lean: South Carolina -3.5.
Florida -3 astatine Auburn, over/under: 53.5. The Gators are the amended team, but this enactment implies they’re astir a touchdown amended than the Tigers connected a neutral field. That’s excessively much, and a imaginable overreaction to however sloppy Auburn looked successful a season-opening 17-16 triumph against Baylor arsenic 7.5-point favorites. The Tigers person a higher level they tin reach, and the SEC opener would beryllium an perfect spot to amusement it. Play: Auburn +3.
Michigan State +29.5 astatine Notre Dame, over/under: 52. Notre Dame mightiness upwind up being each spot arsenic beardown arsenic past year’s squad that was playing arsenic good arsenic anyone successful the federation erstwhile it was near retired of the College Football Playoff, but it isn’t rather arsenic explosive offensively. Hitting a fistful of those explosives is simply a prerequisite to covering this ample of a dispersed against an hostile heading successful the close direction. Guess: Michigan State +29.5.
LSU -2.5 astatine Ole Miss, over/under: 58.5. Vaught Hemingway Stadium mightiness beryllium the loudest and astir hateful venue of the year, but the Rebels indispensable beryllium getting a elephantine accommodation for home-field vantage to warrant this spread. They mightiness beryllium equal, oregon adjacent somewhat amended than, the Tigers connected offense. But defensively, LSU is overmuch much talented and has played overmuch much soundly. Play: LSU -2.5.
Virginia Tech -3 astatine Maryland, over/under: 53.5. The Hokies person the stronger wide roster, and manager James Franklin is typically a bully erstwhile helium has the stronger wide roster. He surely wouldn’t fig to beryllium successful a forgiving temper against erstwhile Big Ten rival Mike Locksley fixed the two’s contentious history. Play: Virginia Tech -3.
Big Plays
Syracuse +11 astatine Pittsburgh, over/under: 51. Syracuse’s powerfulness standing appears to person taken a deed retired of past week’s 21-18 nonaccomplishment to California arsenic 3.5-point favorites, but they had nary concern losing the game. The SP+ ratings gave the Orange much than a 55% postgame triumph expectancy. Pittsburgh’s discourtesy looks much explosive this year, but manager Pat Narduzzi traditionally hasn’t employed a benignant that makes it casual to triumph by ample margins. Play: Syracuse +11.
North Texas +3.5 astatine Texas State, over/under: 63. The betting marketplace sentiment was down connected North Texas going into the play fixed its ample roster turnover, but it’s since outgained Indiana successful Week 1 and embarrassed UNLV successful Week 2. The Mean Green merit a bigger upgrade, oregon astatine slightest capable respect to not spot wealth coming successful against them aft opening a 2.5-point underdog successful this game. Play: North Texas +3.5.
North Carolina State +4.5 astatine Vanderbilt, over/under: 52.5. Give the Wolfpack a spot of a walk for their Week 0 no-show wherever they got bludgeoned up beforehand successful a 34-8 nonaccomplishment to Virginia arsenic 4.5-point underdogs. Vanderbilt isn’t arsenic imposing successful the trenches, and needs clip to make admittedly thrilling freshman backmost Jared Curtis earlier laying this galore points to a competent opponent. Play: NC State +4.5.
Wyoming +1.5 astatine Central Michigan, over/under: 39. The Cowboys looked similar they would beryllium overmuch improved coming into the year, and 1 stinker of a 31-16 Week 1 nonaccomplishment to Colorado State arsenic 2-point underdogs shouldn’t ruin each the affirmative momentum. Central Michigan, meanwhile, mightiness beryllium 1 of the worst FBS programs aft hardly surviving Football Championship Subdivision hostile Colgate past week 13-10. Play: Wyoming +1.5.
East Carolina +2.5 astatine Old Dominion, over/under: 49.5. The Monarchs enactment unneurotic a much respectable show than the 44-21 last score, oregon surely the aboriginal 37-6 hole, indicated past week against Virginia Tech. They should inactive endanger vessel eligibility this year, portion that should beryllium a agelong changeable for a Pirates squad that has looked a tier below. Play: Old Dominion -2.5.
UAB +7.5 astatine Louisiana, over/under: 56. Don’t wholly disregard the combat the Ragin’ Cajuns enactment up successful past week’s 49-30 nonaccomplishment astatine USC arsenic 31.5-point underdogs. The Trojans lone outgained them by 0.03 yards per play. With dual-threat backmost Lunch Winfield steadfast again, Louisiana has a accidental to marque immoderate sound this play and is worthy considering astatine 10-to-1 to triumph the Sun Belt. Play: Louisiana -7.5.
Other games
Plays
Arkansas State +20.5 astatine TCU
UConn -3 astatine Southern Miss
Rice +10 vs. Western Michigan
Florida International +7 astatine Florida Atlantic
Colorado +4.5 astatine Northwestern
Georgia Southern +3.5 astatine Jacksonville State
Charlotte +19 astatine Appalachian State
Middle Tennessee +5 vs. UNR
Buffalo +40 astatine Penn State
Leans
Fresno State -6.5 astatine San Jose State
New Mexico +23.5 astatine Oklahoma
Ohio +4.5 astatine South Alabama
Toledo -5.5 vs. Temple
Cincinnati -14 vs. Miami (Ohio)
Duke -9.5 vs. Stanford
Northern Illinois +35 astatine Arizona
Marshall -3.5 astatine Missouri State
North Carolina +4 astatine Clemson
Georgia -24 astatine Arkansas
Tulane +20.5 astatine Kansas State
Wisconsin -24 vs. Eastern Michigan
West Virginia +10.5 vs. Virginia successful Charlotte
James Madison +2.5 astatine San Diego State
Guesses
Indiana -44 vs. Western Kentucky
Bowling Green +24 astatine Iowa State
Minnesota -24 vs. Akron
Texas A&M -17 vs. Kentucky
Utah -27.5 vs. Utah State
Miami -21 astatine Wake Forest
Arizona State -5.5 vs. Kansas successful London
Delaware -5 vs. Coastal Carolina
Baylor -17 vs. Louisiana Tech
Tennessee -35 vs. Kennesaw State
Texas -30 vs. UTSA
BYU -17.5 astatine Colorado State
UCF -18.5 vs. Georgia State
USC -23.5 vs. Rutgers
Kent State +53.5 astatine Ohio State
Troy +27.5 astatine Missouri
Michigan -35 vs. UTEP
UCLA -14.5 vs. Purdue
Sacramento State +28.5 vs. North Dakota State
Liberty -14.5 vs. Ball State
English (US)·