by Rod Pearson
Monday, Oct 13, 2025
Game Time: 12:00 pm ET, Saturday, October 18, 2025
Venue: FirstBank Stadium, Nashville, TN
Where to Watch: ABC
Opening Odds at USA Sportsbooks
DraftKings: Point Spread: LSU +2.5, Vandy -2.5; Over/Under: 49.5 points
Bet365: Point Spread: LSU +2.5, Vandy -2.5; Over/Under: 49.5 points
BetMGM: Point Spread: LSU +2.5, Vandy -2.5; Over/Under: 49.5 points
Season Record
LSU Tigers: 5-1 (2-1) (6th place, SEC)
Vanderbilt Commodores: 5-1 (1-1) (7th place, SEC)
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Recent Form
LSU Tigers: won their last game at home against the South Carolina Gamecocks 20-10.
Vanderbilt Commodores: lost their last game on the road against the Alabama Crimson Tide 30-14.
LSU Tigers vs Vanderbilt Commodores Preview and Analysis
LSU is entering this game with a 5-1 record overall and they have a 2-1 record in their conference games too. They are 4-0 in their home games, 1-1 in their road games, and they are also 0-0 in their neutral site games this season, but they will be on the road for this game. They won their last game against South Carolina 20-10. Garrett Nussmeier was the starting QB and he completed 20/33 passes for 254 passing yards, 2 touchdowns, and 2 interceptions. Caden Durham led the team in rushing yards with 70. Trey'Dez Green led the receivers with 119 receiving yards on 8 receptions and 1 TD. A.J. Haulcy led the defense in that game with 6 solo tackles and 5 assisted tackles while Harold Perkins Jr., Whit Weeks, DJ Pickett, and Bernard Gooden each led the defense in sacks with 1. Tamarcus Cooley came away with the only interception for them in that one.
Vanderbilt is entering this game with a 5-1 record overall and they have a 1-1 record in their conference games too. They are 3-0 in their home games, 2-1 in their road games, and they are also 0-0 in their neutral site games this season, but they will be at home for this game. They lost their last game against Alabama 30-14. Diego Pavia was the starting QB and he completed 21/36 passes for 198 passing yards, 1 touchdown, and 2 interceptions. Sedrick Alexander led the team in rushing yards with 76 and 1 TD. Junior Sherrill led the receivers with 49 receiving yards on 6 receptions. CJ Heard led the defense in that game with 6 solo tackles and 2 assisted tackles while Zaylin Wood, Khordae Sydnor, Joshua Singh, and Miles Capers each led the defense in sacks with 1. Martel Hight came away with the only interception for them in that one.
LSU vs Vanderbilt Prediction
The current betting odds have LSU listed as a 2.5 point underdog in this game according to Draftkings Sportsbook. LSU has looked really good in their games this season with their 5-1 record overall and their 2-1 conference record which has them higher in the SEC. Their only loss this season was on the road against Ole Miss who is ranked inside the top 5, but they are off a 20-10 win over South Carolina in their last one, Their offense hasn't looked great this season, but they still have a lot of talent on that offense along with a great QB so it is only a matter of time until things start to click. LSU also has a really good defense that hasn't been giving up many points all season and has been one of the best defenses in the nation. Meanwhile, Vanderbilt has looked really good in their games this season with their 5-1 record overall, but their 1-1 conference record has them lower in the SEC. They have looked really good this season with their offense rolling in a lot of their games, but they don't have a great defense and they aren't going to win many games in the SEC like that. They are coming out of their bye week after losing their last game in Alabama 30-14, but they have been overachieving all year and the way they lost that game to Alabama could lead to the wheels starting to fall off. Vanderbilt does have the better offense along with the home advantage, but this will be the best defense that Vanderbilt has seen all year and it is going to cause issues. LSU has enough offense to move the ball on this bad Vandy defense while LSU's defense keeps them in this game with a chance to win when they need a statement win. The best way to place a bet here is on LSU to cover the spread in this game.
LSU Vanderbilt Prediction: Our NCAAF Pick for Saturday, October 18, 2025 (12:00 pm ET start time) is LSU 27 Vanderbilt 21.
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NCAAF Betting Trends
LSU Tigers: 1-7 ATS when the line is +3 to -3. 3-6 ATS after allowing 14 points or less last game. 2-5 ATS when playing against a top-level team (Win Pct. > 75%). 9-3 OVER off a win against a conference rival. 6-1 OVER versus good rushing defenses - allowing 3.25 rushing yards/carry or less.
Vanderbilt Commodores: 3-0 ATS when the line is +3 to -3. 4-1 ATS after a bye week. 7-4 ATS versus good rushing defenses - allowing 120 rushing yards/game or less. 11-4 OVER in home lined games. 10-2 OVER when the total is between 49.5 and 56. 7-1 OVER off a road loss.
Key Injuries
LSU Tigers: G. Reliford (DL) Questionable - Undisclosed. P. Mubenga (OG) Questionable - Undisclosed. A. Anderson (WR) Questionable - Hip/Knee. J. Lindsey (RB) Out - Suspension.
Vanderbilt Commodores: Y. Ouattara (DL) Questionable - Undisclosed. J. Curtis (LB) Questionable - Undisclosed. B. Lipford (S) Questionable - Undisclosed. C. Gillespie (RB) Questionable - Undisclosed. M. Davis (CB) Questionable - Undisclosed.
Notable Quotes
“We found a way to win, even though we had some mistakes out there that could at some time be catastrophic. The bottom line is: against an SEC opponent, we held them to 10 points and really, except for our own mistakes, we controlled the flow of the game.” - Brian Kelly after his team’s win against South Carolina in their last game.
“We knew coming in this would be a game won on third down and the red zone. Those are two areas we weren’t very good at, particularly on offense. Offensively we never seemed to get rhythm, particularly in the second half. And that allowed them to take time of possession.” - Clark Lea after his team’s loss against Alabama in their last game.
Starting Lineups
LSU Tigers
WR Thomas, Zavion
WR Brown, Barion
WR Anderson, Aaron
TE Sharp, Bauer
QB Nussmeier, Garrett
RB Durham, Caden
Vanderbilt Commodores
WR Sherrill, Junior
WR Richardson, Tre
WR Hoskins, Richie
TE Stowers, Eli
QB Pavia, Diego
RB Alexander, Sedrick
Statistical Leaders
LSU Tigers
Passing: Garrett Nussmeier (1,413)
Rushing: Caden Durham (283)
Receiving: Aaron Anderson (305)
Touchdowns: Caden Durham (2)
Vanderbilt Commodores
Passing: Diego Pavia (1,409)
Rushing: Diego Pavia (352)
Receiving: Eli Stowers (323)
Touchdowns: Sedrick Alexander (9)
Coaches:
LSU Tigers: Brian Kelly (4th season)
Vanderbilt Commodores: Clark Lea (5th season)
Rod Pearson
About the Author:
Rod Pearson has been a rabid sports fan his entire life. He grew up in Ontario, and was skilled in both hockey and baseball, and pitched in an elite baseball league for many years. In 2022, Rod decided to hang up his glove, so that he could write about the sports he loves -- but from a gambling perspective. Join Rod every day as he breaks down the games to find the best betting value.
