Clemson (7-0 SU, 2-5 ATS) will be without star quarterback Trevor Lawrence for the second straight week when it visits Notre Dame Stadium, where the Irish (6-0, 2-4) have won 22 straight games. The Tigers opened as 7.5-point favorites.
Clemson Tigers vs Notre Dame Fighting Irish
- Date/Time: November 7, 7:30 p.m. ET
- Stadium: Notre Dame Stadium
- TV Coverage: NBC
- Sportsbook Odds: Clemson -7.5 | O/U 50.5 (Line History)
- Clemson vs Notre Dame Matchup Report
Sportsbook Odds Analysis
You won’t find Notre Dame in the home underdog role often (once since 2015), but the Fighting Irish are dangerous when they are. The Irish have won straight up the last three times they were catching points on their home field, with two of those three victories coming by seven points or more. This line had dropped to Clemson -7 by the time of writing Sunday night.
Clemson News & Notes
The Tigers proved last week that there’s a lot more to their team than just Lawrence, who tested positive for COVID-19 a few days before the game against Boston College and will miss this week’s contest due to ACC safety protocol.
Several other veterans stepped up in the absence of their star quarterback as Travis Etienne, Cornell Powell and Amari Rodgers combined to gain 311 yards on 25 receptions. Etienne finished the contest with 264 all-purpose yards and two touchdowns, becoming the FBS all-time leader in games with a touchdown (42) and breaking the ACC career rushing record in the process.
Freshman quarterback D.J. Uiagalelei didn’t seem fazed by the pressure of filling Lawrence’s shoes, even when facing an 18-point deficit in the first half. The five-star recruit completed 30 of his 41 passes for 342 yards and a pair of touchdowns to lead Clemson to a 34-28 win and its largest comeback in school history.
Offensive coordinator Tony Elliott told reporters he didn’t change the Tigers’ game plan with Uiagalelei under center and compared the freshman to both Lawrence and former Tiger Deshaun Watson.
Overshadowed by the comeback victory was a second straight underwhelming performance by the Clemson defense, which allowed 28 first-half points a week after giving up 21 to lowly Syracuse. The Tigers defense did manage to tighten things up in the second half, however, holding the Eagles scoreless and allowing just 66 yards of offense.
Notre Dame News & Notes
The Fighting Irish easily downed Georgia Tech 31-13 last week, but Brian Kelly didn’t seem impressed. The veteran coach scheduled a practice for the very next day, partly due to an NCAA-mandated off-day on Tuesday (the U.S. election) but also to clean up some sloppy parts of Notre Dame’s game. The Irish allowed a 93-yard fumble return TD and missed a wide-open touchdown throw in the victory over the Yellow Jackets.
Kelly couldn’t have been upset with his defense, however, after the unit dominated for the third straight week. Notre Dame held the Yellow Jackets offense off the scoreboard until midway through the fourth quarter and has allowed just 16 points in its last three games combined.
A loss this week doesn’t necessarily kill Notre Dame’s playoff hopes (they could meet Clemson again in the ACC title game), but it would go a long way toward solidifying the Irish’s reputation. Notre Dame has lost eight of its 11 games against top-10 opponents under Kelly since 2010, and the Irish are 2-5 SU all-time when hosting the No. 1 team in the nation. It’s worth noting, however, that the last four losses were decided by a combined total of 10 points.
Betting Pick: Notre Dame +7
The Irish haven’t lost on this field by more than seven points since 2016, and I don’t see that streak coming to an end against the short-handed Tigers. Taking a touchdown with the home dog looks like tremendous value in a game that could easily come down to the final possession.
- Clemson is 2-6 ATS in its last 8 games.
- Notre Dame is 22-0 SU in its last 22 home games (avg. margin: 22.3).
- The total has gone UNDER in 6 of Clemson’s last 7 road games.
Ohio Betting Options
