The Early Predictions: LSU Football vs. UCLA Bruins in Week 4 Matchup

Brian Kelly and the No. 16 ranked LSU Tigers will host the UCLA Bruins on Saturday afternoon in Death Valley with the program looking to carry its momentum from Week 3.

Saturday’s contest marks UCLA’s first visit to Tiger Stadium. The teams have met on one other occasion, that coming in the 2021 season-opener when the Bruins knocked off the Tigers, 38-27, in Pasadena.

Kelly and Co. battled back after going down 17-0 early in the second quarter on Saturday afternoon with signal-caller Garrett Nussmeier showing tremendous poise in his first SEC start.

Now, it's about carrying the momentum into Week 4 against the UCLA Bruins with Nussmeier at the helm for the Bayou Bengals.

Here are the latest betting lines, trends and a score prediction for the Week 4 battle:

The Early Betting Lines: Week 4 Edition

LSU: -24 (-110)
UCLA: +24 (-110)

LSU to Win: -2100
UCLA to Win: +1100

Over 56.5 Points: -110
Under 56.5 Points: -110

*All odds via DraftKings*

LSU vs. UCLA Trends

UCLA is 0-2 against the spread this season.
LSU is 0-3 against the spread so far in 2024.
UCLA is 2-6 against the spread in its last 8 games overall.
LSU is 1-4 against the spread in its last 5 games.
The total went under in 6 of UCLA's last 7 games on the road.
The total went over in 18 of LSU's last 20 games.
UCLA is 1-5 against the spread in its last 6 games as an underdog.
LSU is 4-1 straight-up in its last 5 games against a Big Ten opponent.

The Belief in Garrett Nussmeier

"Garrett Nussmeier, he’s tough as nails,” ESPN analyst and former LSU star Booger McFarland said. “His dad Doug, former offensive coordinator in the NFL, he’s got to be proud of his son. Because his son waited his turn to quarterback at LSU behind a Heisman Trophy guy and in the era of the transfer portal he didn’t transfer. And he talked about yeah, he’s from Texas, but Louisiana’s in his blood. And you can see how much pride he has playing and putting on the purple and gold in the way he played.

“That defensive line from South Carolina might be the best in the country. Those two defensive ends, unreal. And they came after him time and time again and he stepped up and made plays. A lot to be cleaned up on both sides, but I think you’ve got to give  — any time you go on the road in the SEC and you get a win down 17-0, they’ll put that one in their back pocket and they’ll lean on that one the rest of the year.”

The Early Prediction: LSU 45, UCLA 21

LSU Tigers On SI will have a complete prediction on the LSU vs. UCLA matchup on Friday with the Bayou Bengals inching closer to game time against the Bruins.

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