Clemson Tigers vs. Georgia Tech Yellow Jackets
Saturday, October 17, 2020 – 12:00 PM EDT, Clemson Memorial Stadium
(function(){const viewportWidth=window.innerWidth;var config={widget:”odds-widget”,eventID:4219419,marketType:”spread”,sportsbooks:[{“sportsbook_id”:43,”book_name”:”Bet365″,”affiliate_link”:”http://c.sportsbookreview.com/a9yi”,”book_logo”:{“image”:”https://wpi.sportsbookreview.com/pickdev/2019/12/Bet365hq.png”,”alt”:”Bet365″}},{“sportsbook_id”:238,”book_name”:”Pinnacle”,”affiliate_link”:”http://c.sportsbookreview.com/qj0z”,”book_logo”:{“image”:”https://wpi.sportsbookreview.com/pickdev/2020/05/05190218/Pinnacle-logo.png”,”alt”:”Pinnacle”}},{“sportsbook_id”:1096,”book_name”:”BetOnline”,”affiliate_link”:”http://c.sportsbookreview.com/fk55″,”book_logo”:{“image”:”https://wpi.sportsbookreview.com/pickdev/2019/12/betonline.png”,”alt”:”BetOnline”}},{“sportsbook_id”:180,”book_name”:”Intertops”,”affiliate_link”:”http://c.sportsbookreview.com/16j0″,”book_logo”:{“image”:”https://wpi.sportsbookreview.com/pickdev/2019/11/13181340/intertops1.png”,”alt”:”Intertops”}},{“sportsbook_id”:626,”book_name”:”Matchbook”,”affiliate_link”:”http://c.sportsbookreview.com/67rc”,”book_logo”:{“image”:”https://wpi.sportsbookreview.com/pickdev/2020/05/11172048/Matchbook-logo.png”,”alt”:”Matchbook”}}],isMobile:viewportWidth<=425,matchupOddsURL:"https://www.sportsbookreview.com/betting-odds/college-football/4219419/odds/"}
function init(){console.log(config,'init')}
document.getElementById('4219419-spread').setAttribute('data-widget-config',JSON.stringify(config))
document.getElementById('4219419-spread').setAttribute('data-widget-env',"prod")
document.addEventListener('sbrWidgetLoad',init)})()
Trevor Lawrence and No. 1 Clemson appear to be on a reign of terror that is destined for its fifth National Championship appearance in six years. It has won its first four games against a bad Wake Forest team, the Citadel and a mediocre Virginia bunch before making a definitive statement with a top 10 win in Week 4. Georgia Tech, who will face Clemson in Week 7 of the college football season and Week 5 of the ACC season, is 2-2 with wins over Florida State and Louisville. The two teams are squaring off for the 85th time overall and the Yellow Jackets lead the all-time series 50-32-2. However, the Tigers are favored by -27 points on Bovada to get its 33rd series win on Saturday.
Why Clemson Will Win
The Tigers have won their first four games by an average of 39 points and enter the weekend on the heels of a dominant 42-17 victory over the No. 7 Miami Hurricanes. Lawrence is the nation’s leading Heisman Trophy candidate and has thrown for 1,140 yards and 10 touchdowns on 116 attempts. He has not thrown an interception all season.
Running back Travis Etienne is averaging seven yards per touch on 56 carries and might be the most underrated rusher in college football. After scoring twice against Miami last weekend, he holds the FBS record for most career games scoring a touchdown and also gains 14.4 yards per catch out of the backfield. Georgia Tech ranks No. 54 in the nation in run defense and will struggle to contain the Tigers ground game on Saturday.
On defense, the Tigers are holding opponents to just 4.21 yards per snap. Three of the team’s four top tacklers come at linebacker and the defensive line is great off of the ball and consistently finds its way into the backfield. Clemson is ranked No. 5 in the country with 18 sacks and should continue to have a field day with a young Georgia Tech offensive line.
Head coach Dabo Swinney has his best backfield to date and that speaks wonders, considering the offensive line is one of the best in the nation. Meanwhile, the receiving core is starting to put the pieces together and the defense is stout.
Why Georgia Tech Will Win
The Yellow Jackets are in a position to play the spoiler. Clemson is coming off a huge win and playing at noon on the road. If there were to be a ‘trap game’ on the schedule, this would be it.
Geoff Collins’ complete team overhaul is off to a far better start than most could have expected in its second year but the growing pains are evident. The offense is transitioning from the triple option to a pistol-based spread system and has scored more than 35 points in three of the first four games. Quarterback Jeff Sims is a dual-threat weapon who has passed for nearly 1,000 yards on 119 attempts and leads the team in rushing with 251 yards. Running backs Jahmyr Gibbs, Dontae Smith and Jamious Griffin carry a backfield by committee that has gained 601 yards on its own.
Should the Yellow Jackets force the Tigers out of their comfort zone, the run game could carry them to victory. That is contingent, however, on Sims’ ability to avoid turnovers and keep possession. For Georgia Tech to win, it will need to control the pace of play and keep Clemson’s offense off the field. Every drive will be critical to success and points will be at a premium.
When a drive doesn’t result in points, forcing the Tigers offense to drive the length of the field is where the Yellow Jackets may have the advantage. 256-pound punter Pressley Harvin III is one of the best punters in the nation and averages 48.1 yards per kick this season. He will be on an NFL roster next season and his ability to flip the field may make a difference when it comes to keeping Lawrence and company out of the end zone.
Prediction
This one is pretty chalk. Clemson’s roster is more talented than its opponents, plain and simple. As a result, it should win the game by a large margin. If Georgia Tech is to cover, it will do so on a backdoor cover late in the second half. With that being said, even a second-string defense will be hard to break through for a group that lost to Central Florida by four scores and a bad Syracuse team by 17. The Yellow Jackets are going to return to Atlantic Coast Conference relevance in due time and Saturday will be a good test for where they stand. However, that time is not now and the Tigers will continue to showcase why they could very realistically win out.
My NCAAF Pick: Clemson -27 at -105 on Bovada
The post Clemson vs. Georgia Tech: NCAAF Week 7 Betting Picks appeared first on Picks.