Clemson vs. #11 LSU Prediction, Spread, NCAAF Picks – Saturday September 5

The Clemson Tigers vs. LSU Tigers game is set to kick off at 7:30 p.m. ET on Saturday, September 5 at Tiger Stadium in Baton Rouge. LSU enters as a 9.5-point home favorite, via PrizePicks, and the game can be seen nationally on ABC. 

The biggest lightning rod in all of college football this past offseason takes the field for the first time on Saturday night. Lane Kiffin makes his LSU head coaching debut after bolting from Ole Miss last December, looking to bring the roar back to the Tigers’ program.

Clemson was the class of the ACC for many years but owns a 15-9 record inside league play the last three seasons. Head coach Dabo Swinney’s squad fell into an early 1-3 hole in 2025 and barely finished above .500 at 7-6.

Below, we'll break down our Clemson vs. LSU prediction and picks for Saturday's college football game, including the winner, spread, over/under, and key player picks for PrizePicks.

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Clemson vs. #11 LSU Prediction, Spread, Over/Under for Week 1 – Saturday, September 5

These Tigers hook up in Week 1 for the second consecutive season. LSU last outscored Clemson 14-0 in the second half of a 17-10 victory as 4.5-point road underdogs. 

That win helped catapult LSU to an eventual 5-1 record, but down the stretch, the Bayou Bengals lost five of their final seven games. Along the way, HC Brian Kelly was fired, opening the door for Kiffin to shift SEC coaching jobs despite leading Ole Miss to the College Football Playoff.

Clemson closed the regular season strong with four consecutive wins, including underdog triumphs over Louisville and rival South Carolina. The Tigers fell in the Pinstripe Bowl to another struggling program in Penn State, marking their most losses under Swinney since 2010.

Both teams have new QBs, including Sam Leavitt making the third stop of his collegiate career. He began at Michigan State before transferring to Arizona State for the last two years prior to following Kiffin to LSU. 

Leavitt led the Sun Devils to the Big 12 championship and a CFP berth in 2024, but a foot injury derailed his 2025 campaign in Tempe.

Senior Christopher Vizzina finally gets his opportunity to be the full-time starter for Clemson after throwing for 596 yards in his first two seasons. Vizzina replaces three-year starter Cade Klubnik, who was limited to 16 TD passes in 12 games in his senior campaign. 

Clemson vs. LSU Spread, Over/Under – Saturday, September 5

LSU enters Saturday’s game as a 9.5-point favorite against Clemson, returning a 1.23x payout if they win outright, via PrizePicks.

Here are the full payouts for the Clemson vs. LSU game on PrizePicks.

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Team Picks data is live at the time of writing and is subject to change.

Clemson vs. LSU Prediction on Over/Under – 9/5/26

Here are the key game stats and trends behind our Clemson vs. LSU prediction on the over/under for Saturday, September 5.

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• Clemson looks to improve on its EPA per rush after ranking 107th last season, according to Game on Paper.
• LSU didn’t score more than 25 points in any of its 11 regular-season games against FBS opponents.
• In those 11 contests, LSU finished under the listed total nine times while holding seven of those foes to fewer than 20 points.
• Clemson’s total EPA against LSU was -12.14, its third-lowest mark of 2025. For reference, the Tigers posted an EPA of -14.1 in a win over Louisville.
• In six games played away from Clemson (including the bowl game), the Tigers compiled five unders and allowed 19 or fewer points four times.
• Since 2023, Swinney’s squad has drilled the under in five regular-season contests against SEC foes. 

Clemson vs. LSU Picks, Player Stats for PrizePicks: 9/5/26

Here are top Clemson vs. LSU picks to target on Saturday, September 5. Today’s college football picks for PrizePicks include WR T.J. Moore and QB Sam Leavitt.

Clemson WR T.J. Moore vs. LSU: 43.5 Receiving Yards

• Moore led the Tigers in receiving last season with 837 yards in his sophomore campaign.
• Several of his huge outputs came late in the season, evidenced by him racking up a total of 184 yards against South Carolina and Penn State.
• In last season’s opening loss to LSU, Moore hauled in 55 receiving yards on 4 receptions, including a 26-yard catch.
• Moore owned the highest total EPA on Clemson last season at 45.14 while picking up 10.37 yards per play. 

Add T.J. Moore to your PrizePicks lineup now.

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LSU QB Sam Leavitt vs. Clemson: 264.5 Passing Yards

• Leavitt topped the 270-yard mark in each of his final three games at ASU before his season-ending foot injury.
• Only three QBs posted 265+ passing yards against Clemson’s defense in 2025. LSU signal-caller Garrett Nussmeier compiled 232 in last season’s win.
• Clemson’s defensive success rate against the pass ranked 23rd in the nation at 40%.
• Leavitt put up an EPA of 5.00 or higher in three of six games against FBS foes in 2025.

Add Sam Leavitt to your PrizePicks lineup now.

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The Tigers will win tonight in Death Valley, it’s just a matter of which team comes out on top. Will all the distractions get in Kiffin’s way and spoil his LSU debut, or will Clemson lose its opener for a second straight season?

Don’t wait until lock — make your Clemson vs. LSU picks on PrizePicks now and earn real money if you’re right.

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