The spread has flip flopped as No. 6 Notre Dame is now a 1-point favorite at No. 12 Clemson, but the Tigers are 28-2 straight up in their last 30 home games and Death Valley will be very difficult for the Irish to get out of unscathed.
WHEN NOTRE DAME HAS THE BALL
The Irish are 4-1 ATS in their last five games with the over 5-0 in their last five road games. But Notre Dame is now playing without its starting quarterback Malik Zaire and coach Brian Kelly has already had to replace his running back, tight end and nose tackle while also losing a pair of players expected to play large roles in the secondary.
Redshirt freshman quarterback DeShone Kizer has helped the Irish to a pair of high-scoring wins and last week Notre Dame rushed for 457 yards and scored 62 points against Massachusetts.
But Kizer’s footwork and accuracy have been imperfect and he’s thrown a pair of picks in two games. Now he’ll get his most difficult test in a raucous environment. Coach Kelly has noted that his team has controlled the line of scrimmage much better this season and C.J. Prosise has rushed for 600 yards.
That will be the Irish game plan as Prosise carries a big load Saturday.
WHEN CLEMSON HAS THE BALL
The Tigers are in a great situation off a bye and quarterback Deshaun Watson and the offense should have no excuses to perform well in this key contest to move Clemson into the top 10 rankings.
After pounding a pair of poor teams and scoring over 40 points each game, the Tigers held off Louisville 20-17 while out-gaining them 401-272 with a perfectly balanced run/pass distribution of yards.
Another balanced attack should turn out well as Notre Dame’s defense was exposed a bit by UMASS as the Irish allowed 450 yards and a pair of long touchdowns of more than 55 yards. Clemson’s wide receiver corps was the best in the ACC before standout Mike Williams was lost in the season opener with a neck injury, but they still have a strong offensive nucleus to move the ball and the extra week of prep and rest should pay off.
LIVE BETTING SCENARIO AND MATCHUP TRENDS
Clemson is 4-0 ATS in its last four home games. Tigers coach Dabo Swinney is under-rated and doing a great job at Clemson and Death Valley. This is a stepping-stone game for the Tigers, and with 16 days to prep and game plan for this big game, expect the Tigers to come out with huge energy and effort, making some early scoring the way to look in live betting and especially for the Tigers.
Irish running back Prosise has gone at least five yards past the line of scrimmage without being touched on 24 of his 74 carries, 32 percent, which is the highest percentage of any Power Five running back. He’ll get his share of yards running behind a top-tier offensive line as the Irish workhorse in this game.
The turnovers and potential problems for Notre Dame’s inexperienced quarterback along with positive special teams play by Clemson provides the intangibles and difference in this key nationally televised contest.
BookMaker sent out the college football spread for this game at Clemson -1.5 with a total of 53. Live wagering during commercials offers an adjusted moneyline, total and spread. Log in and start gambling during the game now!
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