LSU-Arkansas Betting Odds: Tigers Open As Biggest Favorite in SEC History

LSU is not playing an FCS school on Saturday, like many of the league's other teams.

But the point spread sure feels like it.

LSU is a 43.5-point favorite over Arkansas, the largest point spread in an SEC conference game since at least 1980, according to the Killer Sports database.

The next biggest favorite was Florida (-43) against Vanderbilt in both 1995 and 1996.

Since 1980, there have only been 10 SEC games with point spreads larger than 35 points.

They mostly feature Florida and Vanderbilt on opposite sides — this is the first time LSU has been involved, and the second time for Arkansas.

Arkansas is the 107th-rated team in our power ratings, sandwiched between Kent State, Troy, San Jose State and East Carolina. LSU comes in at No. 3, trailing only Ohio State and Clemson.

Our projections make LSU a 43.5 point favorite, so anyone who bet the opener of -46 got a little pure line value.

But who wants to stand in front of this LSU train right now? Or more importantly, does anyone want to put money behind Arkansas?

The Razorbacks are 2-8 both straight-up and against the spread. They've covered only once in SEC play and are failing to cover by 10.7 points per game, the fourth-worst mark in the country.

So it's not just like this team is bad. It's much worse than the betting market thinks.

The total in LSU-Arkansas is also somewhat historic at 71. It's just the 12th over/under in SEC history to eclipse 70, but still falls well shy of the Texas A&M-Ole Miss total of 78 in 2013.

Unders in these high total SEC games have gone 8-3.