The No. 7 LSU Tigers head to Oxford on Saturday night for a Top 10 SEC showdown loaded with storylines, as they meet the No. 8 Ole Miss Rebels at Vaught-Hemingway Stadium. Kickoff is scheduled for 7:30 p.m. ET on ABC.
Both teams are 2-0, but the spotlight will be squarely on Lane Kiffin as he returns to Ole Miss for the first time since leaving the program to become LSU’s head coach. Kiffin spent six seasons in Oxford and led the Rebels to their best regular season in program history in 2025 before departing ahead of their College Football Playoff run.
Ole Miss ultimately advanced to the CFP semifinals under Pete Golding, who now gets his first opportunity to face his former boss. The setting should only amplify the reunion. College GameDay is headed to The Grove, Saturday’s game is sold out and Ole Miss brings a 13-game home winning streak into the matchup.
The Rebels have already been tested this season. Ole Miss opened with a 41-38 victory over then-No. 24 Louisville in Nashville before returning home to beat Charlotte 41-9. Quarterback Trinidad Chambliss has completed 44 of 62 passes for 561 yards with five touchdowns and one interception, while Deuce Alexander has emerged as his leading target with 235 receiving yards.
LSU has been even more explosive through two games. The Tigers opened the Kiffin era by overwhelming Clemson 51-10 in Baton Rouge before beating Louisiana Tech 45-14 last weekend. LSU enters Saturday averaging 48 points and 586 yards per game, including 456 rushing yards and eight touchdowns on the ground.
The biggest question surrounding LSU this week has been the status of quarterback Sam Leavitt. He showed no obvious signs of an injury while finishing Saturday’s win over Louisiana Tech and Kiffin did not mention an issue during his Monday press conference, making it a surprise when Leavitt appeared as doubtful on Wednesday’s availability report. Leavitt missed Wednesday’s practice with an upper-body injury before participating in Thursday’s walkthrough and being upgraded to questionable. His status remains worth watching heading into kickoff.
Home field advantage has dictated this series in recent years. Ole Miss has won each of LSU’s last three trips to Oxford, including a 24-19 victory last season, a 55-49 shootout in 2023 and a 31-17 win in 2021. LSU has answered by winning all three meetings in Baton Rouge over that span, leaving the home team a perfect 6-0 in the series since 2020.
Saturday will also mark the first LSU-Ole Miss matchup with both programs ranked inside the AP top 10 since 1962, raising the stakes even further for an SEC opener that already has plenty of juice.
LSU vs. Ole Miss Odds
LSU is a short road favorite for Saturday night’s SEC showdown at Hard Rock Bet Sportsbook:
- Point Spread: LSU -2.5 (-125) | Ole Miss +2.5 (+105)
- Moneyline: LSU -155 | Ole Miss +130
- Total: Over 58.5 (-110) | Under 58.5 (-110)
Referenced odds subject to change.
Best Bet for LSU vs. Ole Miss
Ole Miss +2.5 (+105): Ole Miss doesn’t find itself catching points at Vaught-Hemingway very often, but that spot has treated the Rebels well when it does come around. Since 2020, Ole Miss is 5-2 against the spread as a home underdog, and Saturday provides another opportunity to back the Rebels with points in Oxford.
Home field carries even more weight in this particular matchup. As mentioned above, Ole Miss enters on a 13-game home winning streak and has beaten LSU on each of its last three visits to Oxford.
This also isn’t going to resemble a typical Saturday night atmosphere. Kiffin’s first trip back to the program he coached for six seasons has been circled since the schedule was released. Ticket prices are through the roof, an enhanced police presence will be on site and a Top 10 Ole Miss team will have an opportunity to hand its former head coach his first loss at LSU.
There is plenty of familiarity involved, too. Golding worked alongside Kiffin for three seasons as Ole Miss’ defensive coordinator before taking over the program, while Chambliss played for Kiffin last season. Ole Miss knows the coach on the opposite sideline about as well as any opponent LSU will face this season.
LSU’s first two performances have been impressive, particularly a 51-10 demolition of Clemson, but Saturday represents a very different test. The Tigers are laying points on the road against a Top 10 opponent that hasn’t lost in its own stadium since September 2024, with one of the most hostile environments in the sport’s history waiting for them.
Getting 2.5 points with the Rebels in Oxford is enough to make Ole Miss +2.5 our best bet for Saturday night.
- Best Bet: Ole Miss +2.5 (+105)
Betting Splits at Hard Rock Bet
Hard Rock Bet players have leaned toward LSU across both the moneyline and spread, while the Over has received the most lopsided action of the three markets:
- Moneyline: LSU has received 62% of the moneyline tickets and 66.5% of the handle.
- Spread: LSU -2.5 accounts for roughly 77% of spread tickets and approximately 86% of the money wagered.
- Total: Over 58.5 has pulled in 91% of the total tickets and 81% of the handle.
LSU vs. Ole Miss Game Info
- 🏟️ Location: Vaught-Hemingway Stadium – Oxford, Mississippi
- đź“… Date: Saturday, September 19
- ⏰ Start Time: 7:30 p.m. ET
- đź“ş Where to Watch: ABC
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