Tarleton State at LSU

Tarleton State went 1-14 on the road last season, so it's no shock the Texans lost, 96-76, to SMU in their opener two days ago. What was surprising was that the total went OVER by 28 points. The oddsmaker may not have yet caught on that Tarleton State is much better offensively than it was a year ago, thanks to Dior Johnson and Freddie Hicks. The two combined for 38 points against SMU. What hasn't changed is that the Texans are still a mess on defense. LSU can capitalize on that with its size, athleticism, and home-court advantage. The Tigers are out to improve on their 14-18 record from last season. Having a healthy forward, Jalen Reed, helps, along with two key additions: point guard Dedan Thomas Jr. and forward Marquel Sutton, the Summit League Player of the Year last season with Omaha, who averaged 18.9 points. Thomas, a transfer from UNLV, had 16 points on 6-of-11 shooting and nine assists in LSU’s only exhibition game, a 75-68 victory against UCF on Oct. 26 in Orlando. Take the OVER.