CFB Betting – Miami Hurricanes at Clemson Tigers

The Clemson Tigers have dominated the ACC for the past several years taking on every contender on their way to the College Football Playoff and a national championship. There’s a new kid on the block this season with the Miami Hurricanes looking to take down the top dog. Both teams enter the showdown of top-10 unbeatens with identical records of 3-0 overall and 2-0 in league play and the Canes had an extra week to prepare following a bye. Clemson wasn’t sharp last week and they still beat Virginia by 18 points. The Tigers have a way of turning it on in big games and this could be the biggest during their current run of 24 straight wins over ACC foes.  Bookmaker is offering a generous welcome bonus (max bonus $1600).

Miami Hurricanes at Clemson Tigers
Date and Time: Saturday, October 10, 2020, 7:30 p.m. ET
Location: Memorial Stadium, Clemson, SC
CFB Odds: Clemson -14.5, O/U 61
Miami at Clemson TV Coverage: ABC

Odds Analysis

If you truly believe the U is back, getting 14.5-points on the betting line seems like a gift. However, Clemson isn’t UAB, Louisville or Florida State, and those three teams would have a hard time putting a lineup together that would rival the No. 1 ranked team in the land. The Canes have been impressive winning their games by a combined score of 130-58 while going 3-0 ATS. They’ve been off since routing rival Florida State 52-10 on Sep. 26. Clemson has raised the bar so high that an 18-point win over Virginia actually looks like a close game. The margin wasn’t enough to cover the closing 27.5-point line, though, dropping the Tigers to 0-3 ATS. There has been movement on the total with the number wagered down to 61 after hitting the board at 64.

Miami Hurricanes

This is easily the biggest game of the season for the Canes and the biggest in the last several years. Having an additional week to prepare should come in handy, but it also slowed some momentum they gained after walloping their first three challengers. There is some history with Clemson as well, though it’s been bad the past two meetings. Miami barely put up a fight dropping those two matchups by a combined score of 96-3. That should be enough motivation for a team on the rise, but it’s just added incentive with first place in the conference on the line.

The fit with Houston transfer D’Eriq King and offensive coordinator Rhett Lashlee has been seamless. King’s dynamic dual-threat ability is the perfect fit for the spread attack and the offense has flourished under his guidance. The Canes are 12th nationally in rushing yards and total yards while boasting the seventh-best scoring offense. King has completed 66.7 percent of his passes for 733 yards and six touchdowns without an interception. He’s also rushed for 157 yards and a touchdown averaging 5.6 yards per attempt.

The Canes have to slow Trevor Lawrence and his cadre of playmakers in order to have a chance. They’ve been good defensively but have yet to face the likes of Clemson’s stars. Louisville rushed for 209 yards and opponents average nearly 147 yards on the ground. The Canes have forced three turnovers in each of their last two games and need a few to flip the field.

Clemson Tigers

While Miami hasn’t played a team as good as Clemson, the same is true for the Tigers. Winning is so routine for them with 24 straight victories over ACC opponents that we just expect Clemson to be victorious every time they take the field. And an 18-point win over a decent Virginia Cavaliers team actually seems close. The Tigers failed to cover the 27.5-point line in their 41-23 victory and are now 0-3 ATS despite beating their opponents by an average margin of 30.3 points.

Lawrence was pleased that his team was challenged last week, something he felt they desperately needed after taking care of FCS The Citadel and having a bye. For the first time starters played well into the fourth quarter. “I’m really glad we got challenged in some new ways. Part of being a great team is making adjustments and getting better,” Lawrence said after throwing for 329 yards and three touchdowns.

We haven’t seen Clemson’s defense get worked by an ACC opponent like they did last week, which is concerning with the Canes being so prolific on that side of the ball. Cavs quarterback Brennan Armstrong did something against Clemson only Joe Burrow in the national championship game did last season – throw for 270 yards and three touchdowns. Clemson also surrendered 417 total yards but did win the turnover battle 2-0.

Bet Miami at Clemson at BookMaker.eu

Until someone can knock off the Tigers they are still the alpha cat in the ACC. Both teams have had a relatively easy time until now, but Clemson has the championship pedigree and a stacked roster of playmakers that will make life difficult for the Canes’ defense. They showed cracks on defense against Virginia that will give Miami confidence it can score, giving value to the over. The shorter spread, though, has me leaning toward Clemson.

CFB Score Prediction: Clemson 48, Miami 30

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- Phil Simon, Gambling911.com