The LSU Tigers spent the offseason trying to fill the vacant spots left by many of their underclassmen that declared for the NFL Draft. For the second straight year the Tigers lost the most underclassmen of any team in the nation and may be entering the 2014 season relying on freshmen more than ever before. Les Miles and his crew have kept the program near the top of the college football rankings, but the Tigers have struggled to keep up with the truly elite teams in the nation.

Overall LSU had 13 key departures but did manage to recruit several high-level players to the team. The oddsmakers believe the Tigers are still one of the top teams in the nation and could be a player for a national title this season. Let's take a closer look at LSU's odds to win the 2015 National Championship with picks, predictions and analysis.

LSU Odds to Win the 2015 National Championship Story Lines

One of LSU's biggest concerns heading into the 2014 season will be its tough schedule-which to be honest, is a concern for the team every year. The Tigers play in the SEC, which happens to be loaded nearly every season. In 2013 LSU finished the year with only three losses, but a 10-3 record is simply not enough to be in the running for a national title with teams like Florida State, Alabama and Auburn drawing all the attention from week to week.

The squad opens the season with a home matchup against Wisconsin and then has back-to-back road matchups against Auburn and Florida later in early October. The Tigers will then start off November with a huge matchup against Alabama then go on the road against Arkansas and Texas A&M to close out the season. Running through that type of schedule with only or two losses seems all but impossible for a young football team.

LSU has played 19 true freshmen over the last two seasons and may put something close to that number on the field again this year alone. Miles, of course, does not seem to be worried and believes his young guys are "prepared to play early and play big roles" for the team. The Tigers may be splitting time at the quarterback position with both Anthony Jennings and freshmen Brandon Harris. However, Jennings is expected to start the season opener mostly on the strength of his comeback drive against Arkansas from last season.

LSU 2015 National Championship Odds and Trends

LSU is currently receiving Top 10 national title odds at +2500, according to the numbers at Sportsbook.ag, but is not necessarily considered a top threat to win the 2015 national title. The team does not have a Heisman candidate and is not even receiving odds to make the four-team playoff-which could be a great situation for LSU to surprise people and provide bettors with excellent value against the spread or with a futures bet.

In 2013 LSU went 5-7-1 ATS while producing a 9-4 totals record. The team did show value when playing on the road by going "over" in four of its five matchups outside of Tiger stadium. Overall the Tigers average 57 total points per matchup but could not crack the Top 20 in any of the major offensive categories.

LSU Odds to Win the 2015 National Championship Predictions

LSU had one of the best recruiting classes in the nation, but all signs currently point to a tough season for the Tigers. Tough, however, does not mean a sub.-500 record for the team but another three-loss season and never really being in national title contention. LSU has too many questions surrounding the team, and not enough reliability at quarterback, to make wagering on its national title odds a viable bet. Keep an eye out for the Tigers to covers spreads and gain some momentum late in the year.

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