It's been a tumultuous season in Baton Rouge, as the LSU Tigers dominated headlines throughout the course of the season with the firing of Brian Kelly and hiring of Lane Kiffin. Kiffin has already been on the job navigating LSU through the Early Signing Period as interim head coach Frank Wilson prepares the Tigers to battle the Houston Cougars in Saturday's Texas Bowl.
Saturday's matchup against Houston marks the second consecutive season that LSU will appear in the Texas Bowl. The Tigers defeated the Baylor Bears in last year's contest by a score of 44-21. After such a wild regular season, LSU has a chance to end the season on a high note with a win against Houston.
Bettors taking surprising stance in Texas Bowl matchup between LSU and Houston
With kick-off between the Tigers and Cougars less than 36 hours away, here is everything you need to know for Saturday's matchup between LSU and Houston the Texas Bowl.
How to watch LSU vs Houston in the Texas Bowl
The matchup between the Tigers and Cougars will be broadcast on ESPN. Kick-off is slated for 8:15 p.m. CT at NRG Stadium in Houston.
- Date: Saturday, December 27
- Time: 8:15 p.m. CT
- Venue: NRG Stadium (Houston, TX)
- How to Watch (TV): ESPN
- Streaming: ESPN+, SECN+, fuboTV, Sling TV
- LSU record: 7-5 (3-5 SEC)
- Houston record: 9-3 (6-3 Big12)
What are the betting odds for LSU vs Houston?
Professional oddsmakers are expecting a close game, but they are giving the slight edge to the Cougars. As of 11:00 a.m. CT on Friday, December 26, Houston is favored by 1.5 points over LSU on DraftKings Sportsbook. That is a slight change from the opening odds, which had Houston favored by 3 points back in early December.
When it comes to the moneyline, LSU has odds of +100 while Houston has odds of -120. The total, or over/under, is listed at 41.5.
Series history between LSU and Houston
Saturday's Texas Bowl matchup will be the 4th-ever meeting between LSU and Houston. LSU holds the all-time series edge 2-1, and picked up a 28-13 victory in the most recent meeting back in 2000. LSU won the first-ever meeting between the two schools in 1996 by a score of 35-34. Houston's lone win in the series came in 1999 by a score of 20-7.
Interestingly enough, LSU and Houston are slated to meet in 2027. The Tigers and Cougars will battle in the "Texas Kickoff" over Labor Day Weekend, which will also take place at NRG Stadium in Houston.
LSU opt-outs for Texas Bowl
The Tigers will be a bit short-handed when taking on the Cougars. Notable opt-outs for LSU include CB Mansoor Delane, LB Whit Weeks, QB Garrett Nussmeier, LB Harold Perkins Jr, OL Josh Thompson, S AJ Haulcy and WR Aaron Anderson. More opt-outs could become known between now and kick-off tomorrow night.