Clemson owns a 15-game Atlantic Coast Conference winning streak, going 8-6-1 against the spread in the process. The Tigers shoot to stay unbeaten on the season and on track for another berth in the College Football Playoff when they host Pittsburgh for an ACC bout Saturday afternoon.
Point spread: The Tigers opened as 19-point favorites, according to sportsbooks monitored by Odds Shark (line updates and matchup report).
College football pick, via Odds Shark computer: 44.6-23.8 Tigers (College football picks on every game)
Why the Pittsburgh Panthers can cover the spread
Pitt had won three straight games but has lost its last two following last week’s 51-28 defeat at Miami. The Panthers fell down to the Hurricanes 7-0 two minutes into the game, rallied to take a 21-20 lead midway through the second quarter but later gave up the last 10 points of the game, creating a slightly misleading final margin.
Pittsburgh produced 417 yards of total offense on the day and got another kickoff return for a touchdown from Quadree Henderson, his third of this season. But the Panthers also failed on a fake punt—leading to a Hurricanes field goal—lost a fumble in their own red zone—leading to a Miami touchdown—threw an interception from the Hurricanes’ 4-yard line and missed a field goal. That’s at least a 16-point differential right there.
Prior to last week, the Panthers’ previous three losses this season had come by a total of 11 points.
Why the Clemson Tigers can cover the spread
Clemson reached 9-0 on the season by sacking Syracuse last week, 54-0. The Tigers led 10-0 after one quarter and 30-0 at the half, then secured the cover as 28-point favorites by completing the shutout in the second half.
Clemson doubled up on the Orange in total offense at 565-277 and cleared the bench in the second half. Quarterback Deshaun Watson left the game with a sore shoulder, but backup Nick Schuessler came in and threw for 177 yards and two touchdowns.
At 6-0 in conference play, the Tigers lead the Atlantic Division by a game and a tiebreaker over second-place Louisville.
Smart pick
Both these teams have played several close games this season. Five of Clemson’s victories have come by one score or less, while three of Pittsburgh’s losses have come by the same. Watson should be good to go this week, and the Tigers are still likely to win this game. But the smart money here at online betting sites takes the Panthers and the points.
Betting trends
The total has gone under in six of Clemson’s last seven games at home.
Clemson is 5-2 ATS in its last seven games.
Pittsburgh is 8-3 ATS in its last 11 games on the road.
All college football betting lines and point spreads data courtesy of Bleacher Report’s official odds partner, Odds Shark. All quotes gathered firsthand unless otherwise noted. Check out Twitter for injury and line movement updates and Odds Shark YouTube for picks and analysis, or download the free odds tracker app.
