LSU vs Clemson Prediction: Odds, expert picks, team and player news, betting trends, and stats

Lane Kiffin makes his LSU debut versus the Clemson Tigers in Baton Rouge. Both teams finished 7-5 in the regular season before losing their bowl game last year. When these teams met last year, Clemson was ranked No. 4 to start the season and LSU No. 9. This year, LSU is ranked No. 11, while Clemson is unranked.

Dabo Swinney enters the season on the hot seat as Clemson is coming off its worst season since 2010 (6-7), Swinney's second year at Clemson. Swinney last won a National Championship in 2018 and an ACC title as recently as 2024. The Tigers ended the regular season with four straight wins after a 3-5 start to the year, which may have saved his job. The highlight was the Clemson defense during that stretch as they held those four opponents to 13.2 points per game. This season, Clemson turns the page to quarterback Christopher Vizzina to get the offense going after ranking outside the top 50 in points per game last year.

LSU signed quarterback Sam Leavitt (Arizona State, MSU) in the offseason to boost an offense that ranked 101st in points per game last year! The Tigers hit the transfer portal hard with Kiffin's hiring, bringing in a plethora of Ole Miss players and more. LSU has some high hopes this season as a ton of analysts believe they are bound for the College Football Playoff. The media placed LSU at No. 5 in the SEC Preseason Poll, while Clemson was picked No. 4 in the ACC.

Let’s dive into the schools on both sides of the ball, look at a few key players, and see where the numbers take us.

Game Details and How to Watch LSU vs Clemson

• Date: Saturday, September 5, 2026
• Time: 7:30PM Eastern
• Site: Tiger Stadium
• City: Baton Rouge, LA
• TV/Streaming: ABC | ESPN

Game Odds for LSU vs Clemson

The latest odds as of Monday courtesy of DraftKings:

• Moneyline: LSU Tigers (-380), Clemson Tigers (+300)
• Spread: LSU -10.5 (-115)
• Total: 51.5 points

Be sure to check out DraftKings for all the latest game odds & player props for every matchup this week on the college football schedule!

LSU Tigers

Head Coach: Lane Kiffin
2025 Record: 7-6 (3-5)
Offensive Points Per Game: 22.8 (101st)
Defensive Points Per Game: 19.8 (23rd)
2025 Strength of Schedule: 12th
2026 Strength of Schedule: 11th

The LSU Tigers Offense:

LSU brought in nine offensive line transfers, and stacked the running back and receiver rooms for Sam Leavitt (Arizona State, MSU). The Tigers offense was ranked outside the top 100 in points per game last year, which was abysmal in all means. LSU scored 20 or fewer points in seven out of 13 games last season. With Harlem Berry, Dilin Jones (Wisconsin), Jayce Brown (Kansas State), Jackson Harris (Hawaii, Stanford), and Trey'Dez Green. This offense is night and day from 2025.

LSU Player to Watch on Offense: QB Sam Leavitt

Sam Leavitt started his career at Michigan State in 2023, but took off when he transferred to Arizona State. Leavitt bursted onto the scene with 2,885 passing yards, 24 touchdowns, six interceptions, 443 rushing yards, five touchdowns, and a 61.7 completion percentage. Arizona State went 10-2 in the regular season, then won the Big 12 Championship before losing in 2 OT agains Texas in the Peach Bowl (39-31).

The word was out. Leavitt is a top-tier quarterback. However, due to an injury, he was limited to seven games in 2025 with Arizona State. The Sun Devils went 5-2 with Leavitt last year and now he turns the page to LSU before possibly entering the NFL draft.

The LSU Tigers Defense:

This LSU defense has stars on it. Ranging from Whit Wheeks to DJ Pickett, transfers Princewill Umanmielen and Ty Benefield. There is more than a handful of players on this defense that will be in the NFL next season. LSU allowed a hair under 20 points per game last year and should be better. The Tigers allowed 31 or more points in three games, including their bowl loss to Houston (38-35).

LSU Player to Watch on Defense: LB Ty Benefield

After recording 233 tackles, five interceptions, three sacks, and 11 passes defended in three seasons at Boise State, Ty Benefield transfers to LSU. Benefield joins a star studded defense with plenty of Ole Miss transfers and returners. Benefield is a ball hawk. He had 12 games of at least six tackles last season and three games with 11. He has the ability to play safety, line up as a blitzing linebacker, or drop back into coverage. His draft stock should skyrocket with LSU.

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Clemson Tigers

Head Coach: Dabo Swinney
2025 Record: 7-6 (4-4)
Offensive Points Per Game: 27.2 (71st)
Defensive Points Per Game: 20.5 (31st)
2025 Strength of Schedule: 57th
2026 Strength of Schedule: 36th

The Clemson Tigers Offense:

After two years behind Cade Klubnik, Christopher Vizzina will be the starting quarterback for Clemson. Vizzina started one game last season, a home loss to SMU (35-24). He will have the speedy Chris Johnson Jr. at running back (SMU) and T.J. Moore returns as the leading wide out. The Tigers lost four offensive lineman entering this season, but do have eight lineman with starting experience overall.

Clemson Player to Watch on Offense: WR T.J. Moore

T.J. Moore is the leading receiver returning for Clemson. Moore had 52 receptions, 837 yards, and four touchdowns with unstable quarterback play last year. The 6-foot-3 Key West, FL native posted 49 or more yards in nine games and six with 83-plus yards. The junior wide out has nine touchdowns in two years, plus 97 receptions for 1,488 yards. He will be Clemson No. 1 target this season.

The Clemson Tigers Defense:

The Clemson defense was the strong point of the 2025 season. The Tigers held eight teams to 20 or fewer points and only three squads reached 34-plus. Clemson gets their leading tackler back, adds four transfers in the secondary who are all expected t play, and have a veteran defensive line. Clemson ranked 14th nationally in third down defense last year holding opponents to a 32.2 conversion percentage and ended the regular season strong with 13.2 points per game allowed over the final four contests to get bowl eligible.

Clemson Player to Watch on Defense: LB Sammy Brown

Sammy Brown led Clemson with 106 tackles, and added 5.0 sacks, one interception, one fumble forced, and fumble recovered in 2025 with the Tigers. Brown registered nine games of at least seven tackles last season and four games with double-digit tackles. He recorded a sack in five separate games and nine his career over two years. Brown is the leader of the Clemson defense.

LSU and Clemson Team Stats, Betting Trends

• LSU went 4-9 ATS last season, ranking 11th-worst in the country
• Clemson went 5-8 ATS last season
• LSU went 2-5 ATS at home last season and 2-4 ATS as a home favorite
• Clemson went 4-1 ATS on the road last season
• Clemson went 2-0 ATS and on the ML as a road underdog last season
• LSU went 9-4 to the Under, ranking seventh-best
• Clemson was 8-3-2 to the Under, ranking fourth-best in the country

Rotoworld Best Bets

Vaughn Dalzell (@VmoneySports) leans LSU to go Over their first quarter Team Total in Lane Kiffin’s debut:

"Lane Kiffin makes his first coaching switch since 2020 and it will be fireworks. While he's caused plenty of drama over the summer, all eyes will be on him and Sam Leavitt in their debut season with LSU. One thing about Kiffin's teams, they can score and score fast.

With Ole Miss, Kiffin's teams averaged at least 6.6 points per game in the first quarter and came in top 31 in five out of six seasons.

2025: 7.0 (T-31st)
2024: 10.3 (4th)
2023: 9.4 (7th)
2022: 8.6 (14th)
2021: 6.6 (54th)
2020: 8.3 (27th)

Now enter Leavitt. He is a Hesiman hopeful that I would rank 11th or 12th in terms of chances, but if all goes well, don't be surprised if he's a top-five finisher. Leavitt posted 29 total touchdowns (24 pass, 5 rush) and over 3,000 yards in 2024 before an injury limited his 2025 campaign. In seven games last year, Arizona State scored at least a field goal four times in the first quarter with Leavitt under center.

I think LSU gets at least three points on the board versus Clemson in the first quarter. I am not sure if we're lucky enough to get a 2.5 team total but probably not. I think the history and hype around this game makes this bet good enough to go up to Over 6.5 for the LSU first quarter team total. We'll see what it opens at later in the week."

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• Jay Croucher (@croucherJD)
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• Vaughn Dalzell (@VmoneySports)
• Trysta Krick (@Trysta_Krick)