- Spread: Clemson -14.5
- Moneyline: Clemson -625; Miami +450
- Over/Under: 63.5
*Odds via DraftKings.com
While it would be nice to say the four College Football Playoff spots are up for grabs every season, it is no mystery who one of the teams will likely be—the Clemson Tigers. They have been one of the best college football teams in the country for a few years now.
You could try to argue that they should not start at the top every year. But when you have been as good as they have been from one year to the next, you deserve to be on top until someone knocks you off. During the regular season, there just has not been anyone good enough to get the job done.
However, there is one team that might be able to do the deed this year—the Miami Hurricanes.
Miami Hurricanes Betting Preview
If fans were expecting another mediocre season like they saw last year out of the Hurricanes, they must be pleasantly surprised with what they have seen this year. As usual, the defense is stout, one of the best in the country. But unlike last season, the offense has been clicking as well.
With the addition of D’Eriq King at quarterback and new offensive coordinator Rhett Lashlee, the Miami offense is averaging 43.3 points a game and 499.0 total yards of offense. King has been everything he was believed to be and has accounted for 893 total yards and seven touchdowns.
Clemson head coach Dabo Swinney had this to say recently about King:
“He’s a great quarterback — he can do it all. There’s really nothing he can’t do. He can make all the throws and when he runs it, he’s a running back. He’s got that mindset of a running back, too. You’d better have your big-boy pads on. He’s averaging 5.4 yards after contact, so this is a very physical player.”
Having a good running back like Cam’Ron Harris certainly helps. If Harris and King can get the ball moving early, the Hurricanes will have an honest shot at winning the game. That will, of course, not be easy to do against Clemson’s defense.
But if their defense can live up to its reputation and just slow Trevor Lawrence down, the outcome may not be what oddsmakers think.
Clemson Tigers Betting Preview
The Tigers have ruled the ACC and the national scene for year. So far, there has been little to no reason to think this season is going to be any different. Trevor Lawrence has been playing as good as ever. Through three games he has already tallied 848 yards in the passing game and ten total touchdowns.
He still has one of the best running backs in the backfield with him in Travis Etienne. When they two are on their game, Clemson’s offense is virtually unstoppable. But they have yet to face a defense quite like Miami’s.
However, what will be even more important for the Tigers will be how the defense steps up to the challenge of containing Miami’s offense—especially D’Eriq King and Cam’Ron Harris. The front has been holding opposing running backs to 2.3 yards a carry and will need to do the same.
Clemson’s linebackers will get the unenviable task of keeping King from breaking into the secondary when he runs.
OddsUSA NCAA Football Best Bet of the Week Betting Prediction
Miami is going to give Clemson a much better game than anyone expects. The Hurricanes defense will succeed in slowing down Lawrence and Etienne, but they will not be able to stop them altogether. Clemson’s defense will have a similar impact on Miami.
If the Hurricanes are going to win, they will need to score touchdowns rather than settling for field goals. They can’t let Lawrence start to build a lead; when he scores, Miami needs to follow suit. Most of all, their defense has to play their best game ever if they hope to contain Trevor Lawrence.
While they may do so for a half or maybe even three quarters, they are not going to do so for the entire game. Eventually, Dabo Swinney is going to figure out what adjustment he needs to make to get the offense rolling.
Miami makes a game of it but falls short in the end. So, take Clemson to win, but take Miami to win against the spread. As for the over/under, go with the over. Defense is going to win the day in the end, but it is not hard to see both teams
