The first game of this new college football season that involves two ranked teams takes place Sunday night when Florida State and Louisiana State meet on supposedly neutral turf in Orlando. Both teams won 10 games last year, and both are shooting for even bigger things this season. And a win over a top-10 opponent would certainly help. Which way are we going here with our free college football betting pick?

NCAAF Betting Odds

The college football betting market opened LSU as a 2.5-point favorite over FSU, with an over/under of right around 57. Both figures were holding steady in the early betting action.

LSU-Florida State College Football Betting Preview

The Tigers return 15 starters this season from a team that played 10-3 last year, won the SEC West, and pounded the hell out of Purdue in a bowl. LSU opened last season with a tough loss to this Florida State team and later lost to Tennessee. But wins over Ole Miss - which was ranked No. 7 at the time - and the big one over Alabama got them to the SEC championship game. The Tigers got exposed a bit by Georgia in that conference title tilt but bounced back to beat the Boilers in the Citrus Bowl 63-7. Eight starters are back on offense for LSU, including dual-threat QB Jayden Daniels, WR Malik Nabers (1,017 receiving yards last year), and four along the offensive line. And seven starters are back on a defense that allowed 355 yards per game last season. Going against a top-15 schedule this season, with the big game at Tuscaloosa in Week 10, the Bayou Bengals are playing against a wins over/under of 9.5. The Seminoles, meanwhile, return 16 starters from a team that played 10-3 last year with a bowl win over Oklahoma. Florida State started 4-0 last season, with that win over LSU, then lost three straight to three ranked opponents: Wake Forest, North Carolina, and Clemson. But the ‘Noles recovered to win their last six in a row, several in blow-out fashion, to post their first 10-win season since 2016. Eight starters are back on offense for FSU, led by senior QB Jordan Travis, and four along the O-line. And nine starters return from a defense that limited foes to 322 YPG last year. With seven home games this season but also road dates at Clemson, Wake, Pitt, and Florida, the Seminoles are also playing against a wins O/U of 9.5.

LSU-Florida State Recent History

These teams just met back in September of last season, a 24-23 Florida State victory at the Superdome in New Orleans. The Seminoles led that game 7-3 at the half and 24-10 well into the fourth quarter, letting LSU get within a point on a touchdown on the final play of the game but blocked the conversion attempt to preserve the W. Florida State won that game outright as a four-point underdog, while the total came in under 51.

College Football Betting Trends

The SEC played 7-4 both SU and ATS vs. the ACC last season.

Totals Report

• The overs played 8-6 in Tigers games last season, which averaged 57 total points.
• The overs played 7-6 in Seminoles games last season, which also averaged 57 points.

And what’s the total on this game?