Most pundits figured last week’s game with NC State would be one of Clemson’s toughest battles. That was hardly the case. In a matchup of the ACC’s last unbeatens, the Tigers used their explosive offense to dismantle the Pack, clearing their path to another Atlantic Division title. The Florida State Seminoles are no stranger to being at the top of the division rankings, but this has been a transition season for them. Willie Taggart’s squad stumbled out of the gate and has just a 2-3 league record, but beating Clemson is always on their checklist and they could throw a wrench in the CFP plans of the Tigers on Saturday.
Watch this Week 9 matchup live on Saturday, October 27, 2018, at 12 p.m. ET at Doak Campbell Stadium.
Opening College Football Odds at BookMaker.eu
Clemson Tigers -13.5
Florida State Seminoles +13.5
Over/Under (Check Back Later)
We expect Clemson to score and they’ve done just that all season. The Tigers average 42 points per game to rank 12th in the FBS and they churn out over 524 yards per outing behind a running game that features several big play backs. The Tigers have scored at least 27 points in every game and they’ve been most dangerous over the last two games when they put up 104 points total in wins over Wake Forest and last week’s 41-7 thrashing of North Carolina State.
In past years this matchup was the one that decided the Atlantic Division and eventually the ACC. The Tigers and Noles have combined to win the last seven ACC titles and each has a national championship in that span. While FSU has fallen on hard times under the new coaching regime, Dabo Swinney has his troops rolling. And while we talk about Clemson’s offense, the defense has been just as good.
Clemson didn’t need 500 yards of offense against the Pack with a defensive effort that thwarted one of the better passing attacks in the nation. The Tigers made life miserable for Ryan Finley, intercepting a pair of passes and forcing the quarterback to botch another play leading to a turnover. And given the problems facing Florida State on the offensive side of the football, I don’t expect Deondre Francois to have much success. Taking the under on FSU’s first half and game scoring total is a wise pick on the live betting feature at BookMaker.eu.
Florida State is coming off a nice comeback victory over Wake Forest and they will be at home, so that could sway things in their direction. Their point total in last week’s 38-17 win was a season-high and Francois had his best game of the season with 353 passing yards and two touchdowns. But that was against the same Wake team Clemson lit up for 66 points a few weeks earlier, so remember that when visiting the adjusted odds on the live betting feature.
Should the Noles be able to contain Clemson’s ground game, they are in a good spot to be disruptive on defense. Forcing the Tigers into passing downs will unleash a rush that has produced 24 sacks this season, led by nine sacks from Brian Burns. Of course that’s easier said than done and Clemson will attempt to run the football behind Travis Etienne and Lyn-J Dixon.
One game after they each ran for over 125 yards, Etienne and Dixon managed just 64 yards between them against the Pack. But the damage was done early when Etienne scored a pair of first half touchdowns and totaled three for the game. He now has an ACC best 14 rushing scores this season and there’s a good chance he’ll increase that total against FSU.
Clemson at Florida State Live Betting
There is no reason why Clemson should lose this game, but we all thought that about Ohio State when the Buckeyes visited Purdue last week. So, you never know. Given the Noles are at home and this is a game that could define Taggert’s tenure on the reservation, it might be a smart play to hang with the Noles on the adjusted live betting lines. Clemson has a deep roster and the Tigers have a slim dropoff in talent when the backups take the field. If the Noles fall behind and their will is broken, look for Clemson to add on in the second half, giving value to the adjusted lines.
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