The Tigers (2-0 SU, 0-2 ATS) beat up on Wake Forest and The Citadel in their first two games, but neither of those victories cashed tickets for Clemson point-spread bettors. Tigers bettors should like their chances this week as Clemson has won and covered its last four games against Virginia (1-0, 1-0).
- Date/Time: October 3, 8 p.m. ET
- Stadium: Memorial Stadium
- TV Coverage: ACC Network
- Sportsbook Odds: Clemson -27.5 | O/U 54 (Line History)
- Virginia vs Clemson Matchup Report
Sportsbook Odds Analysis
The four-touchdown Sportsbook line is actually slightly less than Clemson’s average margin of victory in the last four meetings, with the Tigers winning those by an average of 29.25 points. Early action was on Clemson, moving the number to 28.5 by Sunday night.
Virginia News & Notes
A pair of youngsters sparked the Cavaliers to a come-from-behind 38-20 win over Duke last week in Virginia’s season opener. Redshirt sophomore quarterback Brennan Armstrong threw for 269 yards and two touchdowns in his starting debut, with both majors going to freshman wide receiver Lavel Davis. Duke struggled with the size of the six-foot-seven Davis, who caught four balls for 101 yards and the two touchdowns, both of which came in the fourth quarter.
If that connection between Armstrong and Davis continues to grow, the Cavaliers’ OVER streak may continue as well. Virginia has now gone OVER the total in seven straight games, with those contests seeing an average of nearly 69 points scored.
Defensively, the Cavaliers weren’t dominant last week, but they were opportunistic. Virginia forced seven Duke turnovers, including five interceptions, as the Cavs dug out of both an early 10-0 hole and a fourth-quarter deficit.
Star free safety Joey Blount, who pulled down one of those interceptions and also had a forced fumble and a tackle for a loss, suffered an apparent knee injury late in the contest but is likely to be available against Clemson.
Clemson News & Notes
The Tigers have outscored their first two opponents by a combined margin of 86-13, but is it possible that they’ve actually underachieved so far? Clemson’s 0-2 ATS record suggests so, with the Tigers failing to cash for their backers in their 37-13 win at Wake Forest or their 49-0 win over The Citadel. The early ATS struggles are uncommon for the Tigers, who entered the season having covered 19 of their previous 25 games.
Perhaps a visit from the Cavaliers will get Clemson cashing tickets again. The Tigers have absolutely dominated Virginia in the last four meetings, winning all of them by an average of nearly 30 points and going 4-0 ATS in the process.
Clemson may also benefit from extra time to prepare after enjoying a bye last week, especially with the potential return of injured players like defensive tackle Tyler Davis, linebacker Baylon Spector, receiver Joseph Ngata and defensive end Justin Foster. Ngata could be a focal point on offense for Clemson after the highly touted sophomore was held without a catch against The Citadel.
Betting Pick: Tigers -27.5
There’s potential for a look-ahead with Miami on deck, but coming off a bye should provide Clemson with enough focus to cover this four-touchdown spread. The Tigers have covered each of their last three games following a bye during the regular season, and Armstrong’s inexperience as a starting QB could show through in his road debut in ACC play.
- The total has gone OVER in Virginia’s last 7 games.
- Clemson is 19-8 ATS in its last 27 games.
- Virginia has lost its last 4 games vs Clemson (avg margin: 29.25).
