Notre Dame (10-0 SU, 5-5 ATS) handed Clemson (9-1, 4-6) its only loss last month, when the Tigers were without Trevor Lawrence. The presumptive No. 1 pick in next year’s NFL draft will be back under center for the Tigers on Saturday as Clemson shoots for its sixth straight ACC title.
- Date/Time: December 19, 4 p.m. ET
- Stadium: Bank of America Stadium
- TV Coverage: ABC
- Sportsbook Odds: Clemson -7.5 | O/U 62.5 (Line History)
- Clemson vs Notre Dame Matchup Report
Sportsbook Odds Analysis
The Tigers were 5.5-point favorites without Lawrence when the teams met last month in South Bend, but oddsmakers opened Clemson as just 7.5-point chalk on a neutral field with Lawrence back in the lineup. Early action was all over the Tigers, betting them up to -10.5 by the time of writing.
Clemson News & Notes
Bank of America Stadium is just a two-hour drive from Clemson, but the Tigers won’t enjoy as much of a home-field advantage this year as they have in previous ACC title games in Charlotte.
Attendance for this contest has been capped at seven per cent of the stadium’s capacity, meaning a maximum of 5,240 fans will be in the stands. Clemson has won all five of its ACC championship game appearances at Bank of America Stadium, with four of those five wins coming by 28 points or more.
While the Tigers are 2-0 SU and ATS since Lawrence returned from COVID-19, their 45-10 blowout of Virginia Tech in their regular-season finale was misleading. Clemson led just 17-10 at halftime and three of the Tigers’ six touchdowns in the game were set up by Virginia Tech turnovers, including a 66-yard fumble return for a TD.
Bowl Season is here
Check out all of Odds Shark's exclusive betting content for every college bowl game!
After posting a 17-to-2 touchdown-to-interception ratio in six games prior to contracting COVID-19, Lawrence has thrown three touchdowns and one interception in two games since.
At least Clemson’s defense looks in better shape coming into the title game. The Tigers have allowed an average of 13.5 points in their last two outings since getting shredded for 47 points and 518 total yards against the Irish in Week 10, which was the third straight game they’d allowed at least 21 points.
Notre Dame News & Notes
The Irish will be without a big piece of the offensive line that pushed Clemson around in the teams’ previous meeting this season. Center Jarrett Patterson underwent foot surgery last month and will be out for the rest of the year, weakening a unit that helped Notre Dame outgain Clemson 208-34 on the ground on November 7 in South Bend.
Fifth-year senior guard Tommy Kraemer should be at full strength again, however, after undergoing an emergency appendectomy that limited his playing time in Notre Dame’s last two games.
Led by senior quarterback Ian Book, the Fighting Irish offense enters the ACC championship game on fire. Notre Dame has scored at least 45 points in three of its last four games and four of six, and it has failed to crack the 30-point plateau just once since the Sportsbook week of the season.
Book has thrown 15 touchdown passes and just two interceptions this season, aided by a ground attack that ranks 13th in the nation by averaging 235 yards per game.
Notre Dame’s rush defense has also keyed the team’s 10-0 season, holding opponents to under 100 yards per game on average. Travis Etienne, Clemson’s star running back, managed just 28 yards on 18 carries against the Irish earlier this year.
Betting Pick: Clemson -10.5
Lawrence’s absence dominated the headlines in the earlier meeting this year, but Clemson was also without several key starters on defense. Now that the Tigers are back to full strength, expect a dominant effort in a revenge spot with a national playoff berth on the line.
- Clemson is 7-0 ATS in its last 7 games in December.
- Notre Dame is 10-0 SU in its last 10 games vs the ACC.
- The total has gone OVER in 5 of Clemson’s last 6 games.
