Not only do you have to be good to go undefeated, you also have to catch a few breaks along the way. The Clemson Tigers were national championship good last year with a perfect record, but it could have been much different had the Texas AM Aggies converted a late 2-point conversion when the teams met in College Station. The Aggies feel they are a better squad this year and they have a chance to prove it when they visit Memorial Stadium for a Week 2 showdown with the No. 1 ranked team in the land. The SEC/ACC showdown takes place Saturday, September 7, at 3:30 p.m. ET and will air live on ABC.
College Football Odds at BookMaker.eu
Texas AM Aggies +17.5
Clemson Tigers -17.5
Over/Under 64.5
Texas AM at Clemson Odds Analysis
The betting public likes A&M and the fact that the Aggies hung around with a chance to tie last season’s game only to fall 28-26 as a 12-point dog is likely a big reason why. The Aggies are primed for bigger things in Jimbo Fisher’s second season and knocking off Clemson on the road would certainly make signing that fat paycheck to the coach feel much better. A&M was getting 19-points when the line hit the board and that was gobbled up forcing a quick adjustment. The line tumbled to Clemson -17.5 and with the Aggies still a strong public play that number could drop more prior to kickoff.
Texas AM Odds
The Aggies had no problem with Texas State in their tuneup game cruising to a 41-7 victory, coming within 36 seconds of a shutout. They avoided the bad beat and paid off backers as a 33.5-point favorite. A number of starters sat out a majority of the second half keeping them rested for this week’s massive tilt. Will that make a difference? It’s hard to say, but it sure can’t hurt. The Aggies are a confident group, just ask lineman Jared Hocker, who said this week “there will be an upset.”
Clemson Odds
It wasn’t the sharpest performance by Clemson, but it shows you just how dangerous they are. Nonetheless, the Tigers blasted Georgia Tech, covering the 37-point line and cashing the over in their 52-14 win. Let’s not forget when the teams played last season Trevor Lawrence was a backup behind Kelly Bryant. While Lawrence did see action throwing nine passes, it wasn’t his team yet. It is now. Sunshine proved he was human last week throwing for just 168 yards with two picks. He’ll need to be better this week for the Tigers to cover.
Key Stats
Coming up with stops is critical for the Aggies’ success and replicating last season’s performance gives them a good chance of covering the line and possibly securing an upset. The Aggies were strong against the run last season and they limited Clemson to just 115 yards on 32 carries. A&M made Travis Etienne a non-factor holding him to 44 yards on eight tries. The Aggies had the third-best run defense in the country last year and they geared up for Saturday’s showdown by holding Texas State to eight rushing yards on 15 carries last week.
Last Meeting
The Aggies came the closest to beating Clemson last year and they’ve waited 12 months for another chance. Kellen Mond was on fire throwing for 430 yards and A&M amassed 501 total yards against a staunch Clemson defense. Statistically A&M was the better team, yet they came up short on the scoreboard with a failed 2-point conversion attempt that would have tied the game following a touchdown with less than a minute left in the fourth quarter. Lawrence didn’t start last year’s game and threw just nine passes with a TD while he was in there. The Aggies were a 12-point underdog on college football betting lines last year and the teams cashed the over on a modest point total of 50.5.
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!
