Purdue Boilermakers (8-5) vs. LSU Tigers (9-4)
January 2, 2023 1:00 pm EDT
The Line: Purdue Boilermakers +10.5 / LSU Tigers -10.5; Over/Under: +46.5
(Get latest betting odds)
The LSU Tigers and the Purdue Boilermakers meet in the Citrus Bowl in college football action from Camping World Stadium.
The LSU Tigers come into this game on behalf of the SEC, sitting at 9-4 on the year after losing in the SEC title game. Jayden Daniels has thrown for 2,774 yards, 16 touchdowns and 3 interceptions on 68.5% passing while also rushing for a team-high 818 yards and 11 scores. Josh Williams has 532 rushing yards with 6 touchdowns and Noah Cain and John Emery Jr. have combined for 679 rushing yards and 13 TDs. Malik Nabers leads LSU’s receivers with 36 grabs for 854 yards while Kayshon Boutte has 538 receiving yards and Jaray Jenkins has 404 receiving yards and 6 TDs. On defense, Micah Baskerville has a team-high 83 total tackles including 39 solo tackles while LSU’s defense has combined for 25 sacks and 6 interceptions this season.
The Purdue Boilermakers will be coming in repping the Big Ten at 8-5 on the year after their loss in the Big Ten title game. Aidan O’Connell has thrown for 3,490 yards, 22 touchdowns and 13 interceptions on 64.1% passing while Dylan Mockobee has a team-high 920 rushing yards and 9 touchdowns while Dylan Downing has 352 rushing yards and 4 TDs. Charlie Jones leads Purdue’s receivers with 110 grabs for 1,361 yards and 12 touchdowns while Payne Durham has 560 receiving yards and TJ Sheffield has 424 receiving yards this season. On defense, Sanoussi Kane has a team-high 69 total tackles with 51 solo tackles while the Purdue defense as a whole has 28 sacks and 14 interceptions this season.
LSU is 5-2 ATS in their last 7 bowl games and 20-8 in their last 28 games following an ATS loss while the over is 6-1 in their last 7 games overall. Purdue is 2-5 ATS in their last 7 games overall and 5-2 ATS in their last 7 neutral site games while the over is 6-0 in their last 6 bowl games.
There are so many wrinkles in this game, with LSU QB Jayden Daniels in a walking boot at the time of this posting while Purdue lost their head coach to Louisville. That being said, I still lean towards Purdue and the points in this game as I’m anticipating an offensive style of game and the good news for Purdue is that the offensive co-ordinator, ironically the brother of the former head coach, is still staying on to coach this game, so there will be some continuity for the Boilers. A lot of LSU’s success this year came through Jayden Daniels, and if he can play, it will definitely give the Tigers a boost. But Daniels or not, I think this is too many points. Give me the Boilermakers to keep this a one-score game at the very least.
