Saturday SEC College Football Picks on CBS – Auburn @ LSU Odds and Predictions – Week 8 NCAA Football Spreads and Odds

Week 8 Free College Football Picks and Spreads: Auburn Tigers @ LSU Tigers 2011 NCAA Football Vegas Odds, Free Picks, and Expert Predictions on CBS Saturday 10/22/11: It seems like every weekend that two SEC juggernauts are going head to head, and this weekend is no exception. The defending national champion and 19th-ranked Auburn Tigers (5-2) travel to “Death Valley” Saturday afternoon to face the top-ranked LSU Tigers (7-0). LSU has national title hopes of its own this year, and while the defending champs aren’t going to be defending their title, they can certainly play the role of spoiler. However, LSU has looked the part of the No. 1 team in the country all year, and Les Miles’ bunch enters this matchup as a 21-point favorite.

The headline leading up to the game has been the suspensions handed down by LSU. Among the players that won’t be suiting up Saturday are starting running back Spencer Ware and cornerback Tyrann Mathieu. Ware leads LSU in both rushing yards and rushing touchdowns, and there hasn’t been a bigger playmaker on defense in the country than Mathieu. Needless to say, losing the services of both players isn’t something to be taken lightly. Of course, the Tigers did just fine at the start of the season when quarterback Jordan Jefferson and top receiver Russell Shepard were sitting out games.

Even without Mathieu, LSU will still have one of the top defenses in the country. The Tigers are big fast and aggressive, and LSU has physically dominated opponents in the trenches. That is bad news for the Auburn offense, particularly quarterback Clint Moseley. Moseley will have the unenviable task of making his first career collegiate start against the smothering LSU defense. His chances of taking over the game are slim, but if he can just avoid turning the ball over and make a few key throws, the Auburn coaching staff will have to consider Moseley’s debut a successful one.

After all, sophomore running back Michael Dyer has carried the Auburn offense all year, averaging more than 100 yards per game. He also ran for 100 yards in last year’s 24-17 victory against LSU. However, the LSU defense was focused on shutting down Heisman-winning QB Cam Newton last time around, and the Tigers can focus solely on Dyer this weekend. The Tigers are giving up just 30 yards per game on the ground, which could make for a long afternoon for Dyer and the Auburn offense. After all, this is an Auburn team that has struggled to put points on the board against top competition. The Tigers scored 17 points or less against South Carolina, Florida and Arkansas, and the trend could easily continue this weekend.

LSU could struggle a bit on offense as well without Ware running the ball. That being, said the Tigers have a strong offensive line, and Jefferson can serve as an impromptu running back from the QB spot. With starter Jarrett Lee handling most of the duties in the passing game, Jefferson has been deployed as a versatile weapon by Miles and the coaching staff since returning from his suspension. He could pay serious dividends this weekend.

While there is always a chance that LSU could overlook Auburn as it prepares for a showdown against Alabama in a couple of weeks, it isn’t likely. Miles has been coaching in the SEC long enough to know that there are no freebies in the conference. Despite the suspensions, LSU should be able to stifle Dyer and the Auburn ground game. Once Moseley is forced to take to the air, things could get ugly as the LSU defense puts some heat on the young QB. The top-ranked Tigers should roll once again.

Prediction: LSU Tigers (-21) Cover the Spread

Free College Football Picks and NCAAF Predictions: LSU -21 to cover the spread

Stop by NSAwins.com daily throughout the NCAA Football season for daily Free College Football Picks and Vegas College Football Lines plus daily updated BCS National Championship Futures Odds.