A new chapter opens for LSU on Saturday night, and it starts with a heavyweight test. Lane Kiffin will coach his first game for the program when the No. 11 Tigers host Clemson in one of the marquee matchups of Week 1.
It’s the second year in a row these two teams have opened against each other. Clemson won the 2025 meeting 17-10 in Clemson, but this one shifts to Tiger Stadium, where LSU will try to make an early statement and position itself for a jump in next week’s AP Poll.
Oddsmakers like LSU to do exactly that. The Tigers are listed as a clear favorite, and based on those numbers they carry an implied win probability of 80.95 percent. At DraftKings, more than 62 percent of spread bets are backing Kiffin’s team.
The setup is about as intriguing as Week 1 gets. LSU has Heisman candidate Sam Leavitt leading what is expected to be one of the nation’s top offenses, and Kiffin arrives after guiding Ole Miss to the College Football Playoff last season. That offensive pairing is a big reason LSU sits in the mix for a playoff run and is third in the odds to win the SEC heading into the opener.
Clemson comes in with a different kind of urgency. Last season fell short of expectations for Cade Klubnik, and the Tigers enter 2026 unranked after a rough year. Dabo Swinney is turning to Christopher Vizzina, a senior, at quarterback and hoping for a better result this fall.
The opening line reflects that gap. Clemson’s win total projection is only 7.5, which points to a season with plenty of questions, while LSU is viewed as a legitimate contender before a single snap has been taken.
Week 1 has plenty more on the board, with several top-25 teams scheduled for Sunday and SMU and Florida State wrapping up the weekend on Monday. But Clemson-LSU is the headliner, and the market has made its opinion clear.
Odds refresh periodically and are subject to change.
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