Defending ACC champion Clemson looks to stay alive in the hunt for another conference title when it hosts Virginia Tech Saturday afternoon at Death Valley (noon ET, ABC/ESPN2).

The 5-1 Tigers, coming off a bye week, were early nine-point favorites over the 4-3 Hokies, who are just 2-5 ATS this season.



View Virginia Tech vs Clemson Odds and Stats.

Betting Line: Sportsbooks such as Sportsbook had the Tigers pegged as 11-point favorites in this matchup. The total, meanwhile, was at 62 late in the week at Sportsbook.

Power Rankings / Prediction: It's a betting matchup between the No. 42-rated Tigers and the No. 92-ranked Hokies, according to the NCAAF Power Rankings here at Odds Shark. Predictive-scoring models run on this game indicate a potential 44-39 result in favor of the Tigers.



How They Match Up:
The game also pits Clemson's No. 11-ranked offense, averaging 41.3 PPG, against a Hokies defense that ranks No. 38 this week at 22 PPG. The Tigers aerial game is averaging 324.7 yards per game, more than the Hokies secondary allows through the air, 209.6 YPG per game.

In comparing defenses, the Hokies own the league's No. 119-rated front 7 in terms of stopping the run, allowing 296.5 yards per game when on the road. Clemson, on the other hand, rates No. 56 this week in generating rushing yards at home.

In their last action, Virginia Tech was a 41-20 Sportsbook at home against Duke. They covered the 9.5-point spread as favorites, while the combined score (61) was profitable news for OVER bettors. J.C. Coleman tore up the turf for 183 rushing yards in the latest Hokies game, a 41-20 win over the Blue Devils at Lane Stadium.

In their last action, Clemson was a 47-31 Sportsbook at home against Georgia Tech. They covered the 11-point spread as favorites, while the combined score (78) was profitable news for OVER bettors. In their last game, Clemson's aerial attack generated 397 yards and the Tigers came away with a 47-31 victory over Georgia Tech at Memorial Stadium.


Virginia Tech Hokies Trends:
When playing in October are 8-2
When playing on grass are 6-4
After outgaining opponent are 6-4
When playing within the conference are 8-2

Clemson Tigers Trends:
When playing in October are 7-3
When playing on grass are 5-5
After outgaining opponent are 6-4
When playing within the conference are 7-3

A few Hokies at Tigers trends to consider:
The total has gone UNDER in 5 of Virginia Tech's last 6 games when playing Clemson
The total has gone OVER in 4 of Virginia Tech's last 5 games
Virginia Tech is 13-4 SU in its last 17 games on the road
Virginia Tech is 18-7 SU in its last 25 games
Clemson is 11-1 SU in its last 12 games at home
Clemson is 5-1 SU in its last 6 games
The total has gone UNDER in 5 of Clemson's last 6 games when playing Virginia Tech
Clemson is 2-4 ATS in its last 6 games at home


Next up:
Virginia Tech at Miami, Thursday, November 1
Clemson at Wake Forest, Thursday, October 25