If Bruce Pearl has said it once, he has said it hundreds of times: no road game in the SEC will be easy this season.

That's the case as No. 1 Auburn heads to Baton Rouge to take on LSU, where the Bayou Bengals are an impressive 10-1 in games this season.

"The only loss was to Vanderbilt, in a game where they led 56-55 with six to go, which is a great road win for Vanderbilt," Pearl said. "They played at Alabama, the fourth-ranked team in the country, on Saturday. They led in the second half and really, really played well."

And while LSU is 1-5 in SEC play (the lone win against Arkansas), Matt McMahon's squad can provide some challenges for the Tigers, especially the guard combination of Cam Carter and Jordan Sears. The two average a combined 31.8 points per game.

"LSU's guards can really score, get downhill, provide you with some one-on-one challenges," Pearl said. "Obviously, Carter is leading the SEC in league games in scoring, and Sears comes off the bench for them, is really a terrific scorer for them and an older kid. A guy that's lived at the foul line at UT-Martin and is a really tough cover."

Despite their conference record, LSU still has a shot at getting into the NCAA Tournament, especially with a win over the top-ranked Tigers on Wednesday evening. Pearl knows that fact, along with his team's ranking, puts a target on their back.

"Road games are gonna be precious and few, you know, for some," he said. "Hopefully, we're gonna get our share. There are only two teams that are undefeated on the road this year. It's Auburn and Alabama. We've each won three road games, and we've got two tough road games this week with a huge prize on our head."

Auburn and LSU tip off at 6 p.m. CT, with the game airing on SEC Network.