Clemson Tigers vs Texas Longhorns Betting Pick & Prediction College Football Playoff First Round Game
At 4:00 ET on Saturday, December 21st, the Texas Longhorns will host the Clemson Tigers at Darrell K. Royal Texas Memorial Stadium in Austin. This is the first round of the College Football Playoffs. The game can be seen on TNT, and the over/under line is currently 51.5 points. The Longhorns are the -10.5 point favorites over the Tigers. Texas comes in with an 11-2 record, while Clemson is 10-3 on the season.
CLEMSON TIGERS VS TEXAS LONGHORNS BETTING PICK
The Pick: Clemson Tigers +10.5
This game will be played at Darrell K. Royal Texas Memorial Stadium at 4:00 ET on Saturday, December 21st.
WHY BET THE CLEMSON TIGERS:
- We have the Texas Longhorns winning this one by a score of 30 to 21
- Even though we like the Texas Longhorns to win, our ATS pick is to take the Clemson Tigers at +10.5
- We see this game finishing below the line of 51.5 points
Will The Clemson Tigers Pull Off An Upset As Road Underdogs
Clemson enters Week 1 against Texas with a 10-3 record, going 5-1 on the road and 4-2 at home. They’ve been favored in 10 of their 13 games, holding an 8-2 record as the favorite.
Their ATS record is 6-6, with a +13.2 average scoring margin. Clemson is 5-5 against the spread as the favorite this season.
Clemson’s over/under record stands at 4-7-1, with their games averaging 57.8 points. The average over/under line has been 53.8 points, and this week’s line is set at 51.5 points.
Clemson’s offense is ranked 9th in our power rankings heading into week 1, and they are 15th in scoring, averaging 35.5 points per game. They have leaned on their passing game, ranking 8th in passing attempts per game. Cade Klubnik has thrown for 3,303 yards, with 33 touchdowns and just five interceptions, giving him a passer rating of 106.
Overall, Clemson is 13th in passing yards per game, averaging 274.1 yards. Klubnik has completed 63.7% of his passes. Antonio Williams leads the receiving corps with 70 catches for 836 yards and 10 touchdowns. On the ground, Phil Mafah has rushed for 1,116 yards, averaging 5 yards per carry.
Clemson’s defense allowed 31 points in their recent game against SMU, giving up 458 total yards, including 304 passing yards and three touchdowns through the air. They also forced one interception in the game.
On the season, Clemson’s defense ranks 42nd nationally, allowing 22.3 points per game. Opponents have averaged 152.2 rushing yards per game and 214.4 passing yards, completing 54% of their passes, which ranks 11th-lowest in the country.
Are The Texas Longhorns Going To Defend Home Field Advantage?
With an 11-2 record, Texas is set to face Clemson in Week 1. The Longhorns are 6-1 at home and 5-0 on the road this season. They’ve been favored in 12 of their 13 games, going 11-1 as the favorite.
Texas has a +21.2 average scoring margin and a 7-5 record against the spread. At home, they are 4-3 ATS, while they’ve gone 3-2 on the road.
The over/under line for this week is 51.5 points. Texas games have averaged 46.1 points, with an average line of 52.5 points. Their over/under record is 4-7-1, with an average margin of -6.4 points.
Texas heads into week 1 ranked 17th in our offensive power rankings, and they are 22nd in points scored, averaging 33.6 per game. Quinn Ewers has thrown for 2,665 yards and has a passer rating of 101. Overall, Texas is 10th in passing yards per game, averaging 280.9, and they are 11th in completions.
Ewers has 25 touchdown passes and nine interceptions this season. Texas ranks 19th in passing attempts per game. Matthew Golden leads the receiving corps with 738 yards and eight touchdowns. On the ground, Texas is 49th nationally, averaging 165.4 rushing yards per game. Quintrevion Wisner has 863 rushing yards.
Despite their 22-19 loss to Georgia, Texas’s defense performed well, allowing just 22 points and 277 total yards. They held Georgia to 136 passing yards and forced an interception.
On the season, Texas ranks 2nd nationally, allowing only 12.5 points per game. They are 4th in the country in passing yards allowed, giving up just 142.9 yards per game through the air.