LSU vs. Arkansas odds: Early point spread released on Tigers, Razorbacks

Arkansas and LSU will meet in the “Battle for the Boot” rivalry in Week 4 as both teams aim to notch an early SEC victory. The past three matchups have all been decided by a field goal and fans will hope for another close contest this season.

Oddsmakers in Vegas like the Tigers to come out as a victor at home, as LSU opens as a 17-point favorite according to FanDuel.

LSU has bounced back with a couple of wins the past two weeks after suffering a 45-24 loss to Florida State in the season opener. The Tigers opened up SEC play with a dominant 41-14 win on the road against Mississippi State.

Quarterback Jayden Daniels scored four total touchdowns (two passing, two rushing) as LSU held a commanding 31-7 lead after three quarters. He finished the game an efficient 30-of-34 passing (88.2%) for 361 yards and also added 64 yards rushing. Receiver Malik Nabers accounted for more than half of that production with 13 catches for 239 yards and two touchdowns.

The Tigers won the SEC West this past season and sent a message with their performance in the conference opener. With Alabama struggling against South Florida on Saturday, the path to an SEC Championship is wide open.

The Razorbacks managed to win their first two games of the season against low-level opponents but ran into a challenge in Week 3 against BYU. The Cougars proved to be too much for Arkansas as it suffered its first loss of the year, 38-31.

Arkansas opened the third quarter with a touchdown to take a 31-21 lead, but that would be the last time it scored all game. They committed 14 penalties for 125 yards and also committed two turnovers, so will have to clean some things up if they want to compete with the Tigers.

Kickoff between Arkansas and LSU is set for 6 p.m. CT on Saturday in Baton Rouge.

Arkansas hoping to avenge loss to LSU in Fayetteville from 2022

The Razorbacks came up short against the Tigers last season at home as they lost 13-10. With Jefferson sitting out of that contest, the offense struggled to get things going and managed just 116 yards passing.

Thankfully, Jefferson will be healthy for this year’s game, which should give Arkansas a better chance at coming away with a win. However, the Razorbacks aren’t without injury questions entering the matchup, as running back Rocket Sanders has missed the past two games with injury. His status will be a big one to watch as he finished with more than 1,000 yards rushing a year ago.

The away team has won each of the past three contests, all of which were decided by a field goal. Arkansas will hope to change that, however, and also get a little bit closer in the all-time series, which LSU leads 43-23-2.