After entering the 2025 season with National Championship aspirations, the Texas Bowl is not where LSU fans expected their team to be at this point of the season. However, Saturday's matchup against the Houston Cougars presents a great opportunity to end the season on a high note before the Lane Kiffin era ramps up. It will be the second consecutive Texas Bowl appearance for LSU, who defeated Baylor by a score of 44-31 in last year's matchup at NRG Stadium in Houston.
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Both LSU and Houston are dealing with players opting out and will be relatively short-staffed for Saturday's matchup. As it stands, the Tigers find themselves as slight underdogs against the Cougars, and bettors are taking a surprising stance on the matchup.
LSU vs Houston betting odds: Bettors expect a high-scoring game
The Tigers are 2.5-point underdogs for Saturday's showdown against the Cougars on DraftKings Sportsbook. When it comes to the moneyline, LSU has odds of +114 while Houston has odds of -135. But bettors aren't flocking to back a specific side in this one. Instead, they are looking to the total.
With a total of 41.5, a whopping 80% of bettors at DraftKings Sportsbook are backing the over in the Texas Bowl as of 1:00 p.m. CT on Wednesday, December 24. It's a relatively low total, but bettors taking the over in such large numbers is a bit of a surprise.
During the regular season, the Tigers ranked dead last in the SEC in total yards per game with 332.7. They also ranked 15th in the conference in scoring, as they averaged just 21.8 points per game and did not score more than 25 points against an FBS opponent. Houston's offense was fairly middle-of-the-pack in the Big 12 in terms of yards per game (10th, 390.9), and points per game (9th, 28.3).
Both teams are also dealing with multiple opt-outs, and LSU in particular will be without several players on the offensive side of the ball. Most notably, Garrett Nussmeier and Aaron Anderson will not be participating as they prepare for the NFL Draft. LSU's offensive line is also extremely thin, which could have a significant impact on LSU's offense as a whole.
Even with some key defensive starters also sitting out, it's a bit surprising to see bettors backing the over in huge big numbers. Kick-off between LSU and Houston is set for 8:15 p.m. CT on Saturday at NRG Stadium in Houston.