LSU Tigers Now Have Fourth-Best Betting Odds For National Championship

The LSU Tigers lost two games fairly early, which put the future of this season in jeopardy. Now some time has passed, and things have smoothed out; they are actually one of the betting favorites to win the National Championship right now.

DraftKings Sportsbook and FanDuel Sportsbook each have the Tigers listed with the fourth-best odds to win the College Football Playoffs this season, behind the following three schools: the Georgia Bulldogs, the Notre Dame Fighting Irish and the Miami Hurricanes.

LSU has been able to cruise to victories for a couple of weeks now, and has had a bye week, while the rest of the Top 25 underwent a ton of chaos. This season really does feel like it can be anyone's, but it's interesting to see the Tigers with the fourth-best odds despite being the No. 15 team in the country. Perhaps they'll be a bit higher in the initial College Football Playoff rankings, but that's no guarantee.

There are five SEC teams ranked ahead of LSU, but here they have the second-best chance. The losses to the Ole Miss Rebels and Kentucky Wildcats do look better each week, and the Tigers are one of the top-ranked teams in the country in terms of on-field production.

Through nine weeks, LSU has the sixth-highest-ranked offense in the country. The Hurricanes are the only team with a real shot at the title that is ranked above them. On the defensive side of the ball, only the Tigers have the fourth-ranked unit. Only the Fighting Irish are as productive. There's an argument to be made that LSU is the most well-rounded team in the nation.

The Tigers' actual status as a contender will pretty much ride on how Sam Leavitt handles this upcoming stretch. There are three straight top-25 matchups coming, but luckily only one of them is on the road. When Leavitt takes care of the ball and uses a balanced approach with his arm and legs, this team feels almost unbeatable.

Blake Baker's defense hasn't been perfect, either, as the zone coverage has been bullied by the two best quarterbacks they have faced (the two losses). Their front seven is up there with the top in the country, and they are possibly getting Whit Weeks back soon.

The march to the championship picks back up this weekend as the Alabama Crimson Tide come to town for an afternoon meeting.