LSU vs Saint Louis Odds, Lines and Spreads
- Saint Louis is a 2.5-point favorite over visiting LSU in the Billiken Classic on Saturday at Chaifetz Arena
- Saint Louis opened the season with an 89-52 rout of SIU-Edwardsville
- LSU freshman Cameron Thomas scored 27 points in LSU’s season-opening 94-81 win over SIU-Edwardsville
After opening their seasons with victories over SIU-Edwardsville, LSU and Saint Louis take a step up in competition when they face each other.
The Tigers and Billikens meet at 3 p.m. ET on Saturday at the Billiken Classic at Chaifetz Arena in St. Louis.
Saint Louis is favored in the non-conference game.
LSU vs Saint Louis Odds
| Team | Moneyline | Spread | Total |
|---|---|---|---|
| LSU | +124 | +2.5 (-110) | Over 146.5 (-112) |
| Saint Louis | -146 | -2.5 (-110) | Under 146.5 (-110) |
Odds taken Nov. 27 from FanDuel
Thomas’ Big Debut
LSU freshman Cameron Thomas made quite a splash in his collegiate debut as he scored 27 points Thursday night in a 94-81 win.
The guard also knocked down four 3-point field goals. The Tigers went 12 of 26 beyond the arc for 46.2%.
Junior forward Darius Days added a career-high 24 points. He converted two three-point plays during a 16-3 run that put LSU ahead 83-68 with 5:11 remaining and the Tigers led by double figures the rest of the way.
Cam Thomas and Darius Days combined for 51 points as they led LSU to a 94-81 victory over SIU-Edwardsville
🔗 https://t.co/wHhcNzjbFH pic.twitter.com/e0THynxVIE
— LSU Basketball (@LSUBasketball) November 27, 2020
Days was 9 of 11 from the field – including four 3-pointers — as LSU shot 51.7% percent overall.
Sophomore forward Trendon Watford, one of the best players in the SEC, also had a strong first game. He finished with 13 points, nine assists and seven rebounds.
Junior guard Javonte Smart added 10 points and five assists for LSU, which finished just outside the top 25 in the Associated Press’ preseason media poll after going 21-10 in the pandemic-shortened 2019-20 season.
LSU broke out to 26-4 lead and was still up 15 points at halftime. However, SIU-Edwardsville got within two points in the second half before the Tigers pulled away.
Another Goodwin Double-Double
Saint Louis senior guard Jordan Goodwin picked up where he left off last season, notching a double-double in an 89-52 rout of SIU-Edwardsville on Wednesday night.
Goodwin had 12 points and 11 rebounds.
🎥 | The opener. #TeamBlue 🔵⚪️ #Billikens pic.twitter.com/mg4wguzSbD
— Saint Louis Men's Basketball (@SaintLouisMBB) November 26, 2020
Last season, he averaged a double-double with 15.5 points and 10.4 rebounds a game when the Billikens went 23-8 before the COVID-19 pandemic cost them a potential berth in the NCAA Tournament.
Goodwin was the top rebounding guard in the nation last winter.
With all five starters back, Saint Louis is a strong contender for the Atlantic 10 title this season.
Among that fivesome is senior guard/forward Javonte Perkins. He had 22 points in the opener.
Guard Gibson Jimerson and forward Terrance Hargrove Jr., both sophomores, added 11 points each for the Billikens.
LSU Uncertainty
LSU was forced to change on the fly when it came to scheduling its opener.
The Tigers were originally supposed to play this week in the Golden Window Classic in Lincoln, Neb. When that event got cancelled, they found a spot in the Billiken Classic.
That is just the tip of the uncertainty surrounding the program, though. The NCAA is investigating allegations that coach Will Wade gave financial inducements to potential players.
How does Will Wade and LSU even have a program right now? NCAA just flips a coin with who they want to penalize.
— Jason Deason (@DeasonValleyCub) November 23, 2020
Like Saint Louis, LSU has the look of a potential NCAA Tournament team. However, no one knows if the Tigers will be eligible for March Madness by the time the end of the regular season rolls around.
Saint Louis Injuries
Saint Louis senior forward Hashan French missed the opener while in concussion protocol. Meanwhile, junior guard Fred Thatch Jr. sustained an undisclosed injury during the opener.
Both players are questionable for this game.
Thatch was limited to just six games last season by myopathy and myalgia in his legs.
Prior to a season ending injury, #20 Fred Thatch, widely regarded as one of the best defenders in the A-10, helped the Billikens to a hot 5-1 start. Fred had some stellar highlights in those 6 games. @SaintLouisMBB @FredThatchJr https://t.co/wjOdJXJaYb
— David Pavlakovich (@DPavlakovich) March 27, 2020
Billikens Lead Series
Saint Louis has won three of four all-time meetings between the schools.
However, three of those games were in the 1950s. In 1995-96, the Billikens posted a 79-70 victory on a neutral floor.
Look for Saint Louis to make some new history by continuing their winning ways against LSU, the Billikens relying on depth and experience to cover the small spread on their homecourt.
The Pick: Saint Louis -2.5 (-110)
John Perrotto has been covering and writing about sports for various outlets for over 40 years. His work has appeared in the likes of USA TODAY, ESPN.com, SI.com, Forbes.com, The Associated Press, Baseball Digest, and more. John is based out of Beaver Falls, PA.
