Year Two of the Brian Kelly era in Baton Rouge is brimming with potential and overwrought with expectations, after a 10-4 campaign in the former Notre Dame head coach’s first season with the school.
Now, with the LSU Tigers bringing back leading passer Jayden Daniels for a second season on the Bayou and a stacked wide receiver corps that’s headed by last year’s leading pass-catcher, Malik Nabers, the sky’s the limit for Kelly and company this fall.
That glut of returning talent is one of the main reason why the Tigers are among the top national title contenders for the year ahead, with oddsmakers at BetMGM Sportsbook Louisiana giving LSU +1200 title odds.
Overall, on Louisiana sports betting apps, the Tigers rank fifth nationally, behind Georgia at +225, Alabama at +600, Ohio State at +700 and Michigan at +800 in terms of CFP title odds.
LSU Tigers’ 2023 Record Odds
To get a sense of where the Tigers could go in 2023, LousianaBets compiled hypothetical odds on the Tigers’ 2023 regular season record.
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Tigers Could Be Special In 2023
LSU has a shot at winning 10 or more games for the 13th time since the turn of the 21st century, beginning with the Tigers’ opener against Florida State in Orlando on Sept. 3.
Given the Tigers’ preseason win total over/under of 9.5 on BetMGM Sportsbook Louisiana, it’s a pretty good bet to assume that LSU will finish the year 9-3 or better.
With home games against HBCU stalwart Grambling, Sun Belt squad Georgia State and Army, as well as Death Valley showdowns against SEC rivals Arkansas, Auburn, Florida and Texas A&M — there’s no shortage of winnable games for LSU this fall.
That’s why we give LSU favorable odds of going 10-2 or 11-1, with a 58.3% chance of those two outcomes overall, compared to the chances the Tigers go 9-3, 8-4 or worse (37%).
One way or another, Kelly and company will have to kick off their CFP hopes in Central Florida on Labor Day weekend against an FSU team that’s expected to be a top-level team in the ACC this year.
If the Tigers can emerge from that neutral site contest unscathed, then there’s a real chance that LSU will be 4-0 when they play consecutive road games against Ole Miss and Missouri in weeks 4 and 5, potentially paving the way towards another CFP run in Baton Rouge. Those betting for LSU on Louisiana sportsbooks would love to see such a start to the Tigers' season.
