LSU vs. South Carolina picks, predictions, 2024 college football projections for Week 3

Expert picks and predictions for LSU vs. South Carolina in this Week 3 college football game from the SEC.

LSU vs. South Carolina picks, predictions / Jordan Prather-Imagn Images

College GameDay will be on campus from South Carolina this weekend in anticipation for a notable SEC matchup as the Gamecocks look to preserve their undefeated record against No. 16 LSU.

South Carolina beat up on Kentucky in its SEC opener a week ago, coming out with a 31-6 result and kept the Wildcats' starting quarterback to just 30 yards passing, although quarterback LaNorris Sellers has fumbled the ball three times in two games so far.

LSU dropped a 7-point decision to USC in its opener two weeks ago and played a close game against home against FCS challenger Nicholls, staying within two points as late as the third quarter, but quarterback Garrett Nussmeier threw 6 touchdown passes in the win.

Looking ahead to this week's matchup, let's check out the latest college football predictions from the Football Power Index computer projection model.

The model simulates every NCAA college football game 20,000 times and uses key analytics from both teams to predict outcomes based on a projected scoring margin per game.

LSU vs. South Carolina picks, predictions

Expect a close game between these SEC rivals, according to the model's forecasts.

But it's LSU that comes out ahead in the early projections, as the Tigers are favored to win the game in 51.5 percent of the computer's calculations, a very slight favorite.

Conversely, the Gamecocks came out as the projected winner in the remaining 48.5 percent of the computer's simulations for the matchup.

LSU is a 6.5 point favorite against South Carolina, according to the lines at FanDuel Sportsbook, which set the total at 50.5 points for the game.

FanDuel lists the moneyline odds for LSU at -280 and for South Carolina at +225.

LSU will be just 0.4 points better than South Carolina on the same field in both teams' current composition, according to the computer's updated calculations, not enough to cover the spread.

LSU is projected to win 6.4 games this season and has a 5.1 percent chance to make the College Football Playoff, according to the index.

South Carolina will win 6.7 games this fall by the computer's projections, with a 6.6 percent chance to qualify for the new 12-team playoff.

College Football Power Index

Football Power Index (FPI) college football rankings and computer prediction model are a measure of team strength that predicts a team’s future performance. 

Rankings and scores predictions are based on 20,000 simulations of a team’s season and games, using a combination of key analytics, including scores to date, quality of opponents, team talent, recruiting, and a team’s schedule.

Teams are ranked not in order of talent like in other rankings, but by a projected point margin per game against an average team on a neutral field.

AP top 25 rankings

First-place votes in parentheses

1. Georgia (54)
2. Texas (4)
3. Ohio State (5)
4. Alabama
5. Ole Miss
6. Missouri
7. Tennessee
8. Penn State
9. Oregon
10. Miami
11. USC
12. Utah
13. Oklahoma State
14. Kansas State
15. Oklahoma
16. LSU
17. Michigan
18. Notre Dame
19. Louisville
20. Arizona
21. Iowa State
22. Clemson
23. Nebraska
24. Boston College
25. Northern Illinois

Details ... Week 3 AP top 25 rankings

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Game odds refresh periodically and are subject to change.

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