One of only five undefeateds within the Power Five, the Clemson Tigers will look to remain that way in Week 9 when Dabo Swinney and the gang head to Tallahassee for their annual grudge match with the Florida State Seminoles. The Tigers lost to the Noles in this exact same scenario coming out of their bye back in 2014. The Noles would love nothing more than to throw a wrench in their College Football Playoff plans with a huge win.
Watch this regular season Week 9 matchup live on Saturday, October 29, 2016, at 8 p.m. ET at Doak Campbell Stadium.
College Football Odds at BookMaker.eu
Clemson -2.5
Florida State +2.5
Odds Analysis
The Tigers opened as modest 2.5 point road favorites for this crucial Week 9 tilt and were then immediately bet up to 3.5 point favorites before the number settled back down at -3. The betting public is all over the visitors with less than 10 percent of the tickets written backing the home dogs.
Florida State was last installed a home underdog back in September of 2011 against Oklahoma who went into the Doak and handed them a 23-13 defeat as 4 point favorites.
Last Meeting
The Seminoles saw their three game win streak against Clemson get snapped after the Tigers pulled out the 23-13 home win and non-cover as 12.5 point favorites. The game was nip and tuck for the first three quarters with each side putting 13 points on the board. The Tigers defense stepped up when it mattered most in the fourth quarter shutting FSU out while the home team put 10 on the board to move to 9-0 and take one step closer to a CFP invite.
Key Stat
While each of these teams have played to tough schedules, Florida State has played to the harder one by far. Per the current Sagarin Ratings, the Tigers have played to the nation’s No. 24 ranked schedule, while the Seminoles have taken on the nation’s seventh toughest slate.
Each has gone up against Louisville. Clemson defeated the Cardinals 42-36 as 1 point home underdogs. FSU was throttled at Louisville 63-20 as 2 point road underdogs. The toughest opponent the Tigers have faced besides the Cardinals was Auburn who they got the first week of the season. FSU has taken on Ole Miss, North Carolina and Miami. That cast of opponents should have Jimbo’s kids ready for the task at hand.
Free ATS Pick
Each of these teams enter this game rested and ready to go after being on bye last week. Clemson has won but failed to cover each of the last two times it returned to the field off a week hiatus. Florida State has won each of its last six games played following its bye, and stands 3-0 SU and 2-1 ATS the last three times those games were at home.
If Wayne Gallman suffers from any after effects from the concussion he incurred against NC State before the break and is unable to excel, Clemson’s ground game will be in trouble. The Noles defense has held each of its last two opponents to less than 20 points, and gets the benefit of a healthy Dalvin Cook in their backfield who gouged the Tigers defense for 194 yards and a touchdown in last year’s meeting. If he’s able to go off once again and the Noles offensive line is able to limit the pressure put upon Deondre Francois, they’ll have an excellent shot of springing the mild upset and putting a damper on Clemson’s CFP plans.
College Football Odds: Florida State 27, Clemson 23
BookMaker offers play-by-play betting odds for live sporting events every day! The user-friendly wagering interface on your smartphone provides an easy way to place bets on the go. Mobile betting lines are updated by the minute, so click here to start gambling on thrilling live action at BookMaker Sportsbook!
