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The second showdown of the season featuring two top-five teams comes this weekend in the ACC as two undefeateds go head to head. The No. 1 Clemson Tigers (7-0, 6-0) travel to face the No. 4 Notre Dame Fighting Irish (6-0, 5-0) with the inside track to an ACC Championship Game spot on the line.
The Saturday kickoff is scheduled for 7:30 p.m. ET at Notre Dame Stadium in South Bend, Ind., and will be televised on NBC.
These teams have only met four times, with Clemson leading the series 3-1. The Tigers won the most recent matchup 30-3 in the 2018 Cotton Bowl and also won at home 24-22 in 2015.
The only time these teams met in South Bend was a 16-10 Clemson win in 1979, while the Irish won at Clemson in 1977 with Joe Montana at quarterback.
Clemson Tigers Betting Outlook: Get Off to a Good Start
In betting with us at www.A1PPH.com, the Tigers are just 2-5 ATS on the season, and the over is 4-3 in their seven games. The offense ranks second in the nation in scoring (46.1 points per game), eighth in passing yards (341.4 yards per game) and 10th in total yards (508 yards per game).
The defense is seventh in total yards (274.7 yards per game), 11th against the pass (174.9 yards per game), 14th against the run (99.9 yards per game) and 11th in scoring defense (15.6 points per game).
Clemson fell behind Boston College at home by 18 on Sunday without quarterback Trevor Lawrence (COVID-19). However, they rallied for a 34-28 win with 13 points in the third quarter and eight more in the fourth.
With Lawrence unavailable again this week, the Tigers will start freshman D.J. Uiagalelei at quarterback. On Saturday, Uiagalelei was 30-for-41 for 341 yards with two touchdowns, 25 rushing yards and another score on the ground.
Running back Travis Etienne had a record-setting day on Saturday as he broke the 42-year-old ACC record for career rushing yards. He ran 20 times for 84 yards with a touchdown and led the team with 140 receiving yards and a second score.
On the season, Etienne has 606 yards and nine rushing scores on 103 carries as well as 434 receiving yards and two more touchdowns.
Cornell Powell caught 11 balls for 105 yards against Boston College, while Amari Rodgers had seven catches for 66 yards and a touchdown. Rodgers leads the team with 40 catches on the season for 586 yards and six touchdowns.
Notre Dame Fighting Irish Betting Outlook: Don’t Let Etienne Beat You
In betting with us at www.A1PPH.com, the Irish are 2-4 ATS this season, and the total is even at 3-3. Brian Kelly’s defense ranks fourth in the country in scoring (10.3 points per game), sixth in total yards (267.2 yards per game) and eighth against both the pass (173.5 yards per game) and run (93.7 yards per game).
The offense is 30th in total yards (437 yards per game), 11th in rushing (231 yards per game) and 26th in scoring (34.8 points per game).
The Irish had little problem with Georgia Tech on Saturday, winning 31-13 on the road. Since beating Florida State 42-26 on Oct. 10, Notre Dame has allowed 23 total points in three wins.
Quarterback Ian Book was 18-for-26 against Georgia Tech with 199 yards and a touchdown. He also ran nine times for 46 yards. On the season, he has 1,225 passing yards, 212 rushing yards, 12 total touchdowns and an interception.
Kyren Williams ran 15 times for 76 yards with two scores, while C’bo Flemister ran 15 times for 58 yards and a score. Williams has 600 yards and seven touchdowns on the season, while Flemister has 235 yards and three scores.
Javon McKinley caught five balls for 93 yards against Georgia Tech, and Joe Wilkins Jr. had a touchdown catch. McKinley has 14 catches for 264 yards, while tight end Michael Mayer has a team-high two receiving touchdowns.
Clemson Tigers at Notre Dame Fighting Irish Betting Line
Head to our favorite pay per head bookie site at www.A1PPH.com where you can find Clemson favored by 5.5 with a total set at 52. Notre Dame is a +185 moneyline home underdog.
Betting Analysis
Clemson is 11-2 ATS as a road favorite in its last 13 games, while the Irish are 5-0 in their last five as a home underdog. Notre Dame has historically played well at home against good teams, going 13-3 ATS in the last 16 against a winning team according to Gameadvisers.
Both defenses are top seven in total yards and top 11 in scoring, so look for the points to be at a premium under the lights.
Free Pick: Under 52 points (-110)
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