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— Wednesday, December 29th LSU Tigers @ Auburn Tigers
With a lot of college basketball games canceled or postponed over the last couple of weeks, there haven’t been a lot of top 25 matchups recently. That will change Wednesday night with an SEC showdown as No. 16 LSU (12-0) travels to face No. 11 Auburn (11-1). Tipoff at Auburn Arena is set for 7:00 p.m. ET, and the game will air on ESPN2.
LSU won the matchup between the teams last season by 24 in Baton Rouge. The last time the teams played at Auburn, the hosts won 91-90 in overtime in February 2020. Overall, LSU leads the series 87-70 while Auburn leads at home 38-35
LSU Using Defense To Stay Unbeaten
LSU is 10-2 ATS this season, and the under is 10-2 in their 12 games. They have only played one true road game with a win at Georgia Tech on December 11. LSU is undefeated heading into SEC play for the first time in 22 years when they were also 12-0.
They have allowed 60 points or less in five straight games and haven’t allowed more than 63 yet this season. They rank 2nd in the nation, allowing 54.1 ppg, and have the best defense in the country, allowing 33.8 FG percentage. The Tigers had non-conference wins over Penn State, Wake Forest, and Georgia Tech.
Tari Eason leads LSU in scoring at 16.3 ppg, while Darius Days is scoring 15.0 ppg. Days leads the team at 8.5 rpg while Eason has 7.5. Xavier Pinson (10.8) and Efton Reid (10.0) are also in double figures for the Tigers.
Days is shooting 38 percent from 3-point range on the season, while Pinson leads the team at 87 percent at the FT line. Reid and Eason are both shooting over 54 percent from the field. Eason missed the last game with a back injury but should return against Auburn.
Offense the Key for Auburn
Auburn is 8-4 ATS on the season, the total is 6-6 in their 12 games, and they are 6-0 overall at home. They have scored at least 70 points in 10 of their 12 games and have topped 90 three times. Defensively they have allowed more than 70 just once, in a 115-109 loss to then No. 22 UConn.
The Tigers offense rank 28th in the country in scoring at 81.1 ppg, and the defense ranks 33rd, allowing 38.7 FG percent shooting. Auburn has won seven in a row since their double OT loss to UConn in Atlantis the day before Thanksgiving. Among their non-conference wins are victories against Loyola-Chicago, Syracuse, Nebraska, and St. Louis.
Jabari Smith leads Auburn in scoring at 16.2 ppg while K.D. Johnson is at 13.2 ppg. Wendell Green Jr. is third in scoring at 11.8, while Walker Kessler is at 9.5 with a team-leading 7.3 rebounds.
Smith is shooting 45.2 percent from 3-point range on the season and 83.7 percent from the line. Green is making two per game from distance, and Johnson gets to the line an average of 4.5 times per game.
Betting Analysis
- LSU Tigers +4.0 (-110)
- Auburn Tigers -4.0 (-110)
- Total points: 140 Over -110. Under -110
LSU will look to slow it down and keep the game in the 60s, while Auburn will look to get out and score, pushing the pace into the 80s. The visitors have the No. 1 defensive efficiency in the nation, while Auburn ranks 10th in that department. The play in this game is the under as neither team is likely to cross 70.
Betting Pick: Under 140 points (-110)
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