ESPN's FPI Predicts Outcome of LSU Football's Matchup Against Vanderbilt

Can Brian Kelly and Co. round the corner and get back on track? The Tigers return to action in Baton Rouge on Saturday night.

Nov 16, 2024; Gainesville, Florida, USA; LSU Tigers head coach Brian Kelly looks on before a game against the Florida Gators at Ben Hill Griffin Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Matt Pendleton-Imagn Images / Matt Pendleton-Imagn Images

Garrett Nussmeier and the LSU Tigers will return to Baton Rouge in Week 13 with the program welcoming the Vanderbilt Commodores to town.

It's been a challenging stretch for the Bayou Bengals after dropping three consecutive games to Texas A&M, Alabama and Florida, but Week 13 provides another opportunity for the Brian Kelly's club to get back on track.

"Everybody is working and putting in the time and the head coach has to be part of that as well. Whether it’s a business or football coaching, you can’t sit there and say it’s the coordinators. The head coach is ultimately responsible for the success of his football team and we’re not successful these last three weeks. You got to get involved," Kelly said on Saturday in Gainesville.

"Obviously, I wasn’t good enough [in Week 12]. We’re going to go back to work and look at the things we need to get better at. We’re going to keep swinging. We’re going to have 22 guys out there that are going to fight for LSU and play hard these last two weeks at home.”

Now, it's about getting back to work with a date against Diego Pavia and the Commodores in Week 13.

What are the early expectations heading into the Southeastern Conference clash?

ESPN's Football Power Index weighed in on the clash with LSU being heavy favorites right out the gate.

The Game Information: LSU Tigers vs. Vanderbilt Commodores

• Time: 6:30 PM CT
• Date: Saturday, Nov. 23
• Venue: Tiger Stadium
• TV Channel: SEC Network

The Early Betting Lines: LSU Tigers vs. Vanderbilt Commodores

*(All odds according to DraftKings Sportsbook)*

Spread:
- LSU: (-7.5)
- Vanderbilt: (+7.5)

Moneyline:
- LSU: (-270)
- Vanderbilt: (+220)

Over/Under: 54.5

The LSU Tigers are currently a 7.5-point favorite heading into the Week 13 clash. A line that hovered around the eight-point mark a week ago, Vegas continues leaning towards the Tigers as the favorites on Saturday night.

ESPN's Football Power Index's Prediction:

LSU Tigers vs. Vanderbilt Commodores: 70.8% Chance at Victory

Garrett Nussmeier and Co. gear up for a Week 13 matchup against Diego Pavia and the Vanderbilt Commodores on Saturday night in Baton Rouge.

It's an electric offense with Pavia at the helm where LSU's defense will be put to the test, but ESPN's FPI gives the Bayou Bengals a near 71% chance at walking out of Tiger Stadium with a win.

But LSU will have to change their approach in this one and it starts offensively with the program in the midst of a three-game losing skid.

The Tigers averaged a whopping 36.5 points per game during a six- game winning streak earlier this year, but over the course of the last three games, the script has been flipped.

LSU has managed only 17.3 points per game over the last three contests against Texas A&M, Alabama and Florida.

Over the past three games, the Tigers rank 92nd in sacks per dropback (7.1%), 113th in turnover rate (3.0%), 120th in success rate (35.5%) and 122nd in percentage of plays gaining zero or negative yards (39.0%). All statistics according to ESPN.

Now, it's about getting back to their old ways with a challenge against the Commodores on Nov. 23 in Baton Rouge.

SEC Network's Paul Finebaum Weighs in on the Struggles in Baton Rouge:

“Well, he simply walked into a hornets nest right now because the season is literally on the brink,” Finebaum said on McElroy and Cubelic. “It looks like a train wreck from a distance. We’re not there, but everyone now is just going to start piling on him from his own fan base, which is the worst to fan bases around the country, to especially Notre Dame fans, who I think are probably taking great pleasure in his failings. And there’s really no way to sugar coat a three year experience that has not gone particularly well. 

“And I’m aware like you are what he did the first year, but there’s almost nothing for Brian Kelly to say now, other than to try to salvage what looks like a fantastic recruiting class and turn this thing around quickly, because no one is going to be very forgiving for a guy who’s making $10 million a year, who has the highest paid assistant coaching staff in the country, who has four losses, but quite frankly, probably should have six.”

Now, fast forward to Week 13, and the program will look to change the narrative surrounding the program to a certain degree in hopes to end the season on a high note.

LSU will return to action on Nov. 23 against the Vanderbilt Commodores in Tiger Stadium with kickoff set for 6:30 p.m. CT.

More LSU News:

Paul Finebaum: LSU, Brian Kelly in a "Really Bad Spot" Moving Forward

LSU Dishes Out Offer to No. 1 Quarterback in America

Nick Saban Calls LSU Quarterback Garrett Nussmeier a "Sleeper" Ahead of 2024 Season

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