Clemson Tigers vs. Notre Dame Fighting Irish Betting Preview

The winner of the ACC Championship Game is guaranteed to grab a spot in the College Football Playoff. No. 2 Notre Dame and No. 3 Clemson are both getting a ton of respect from the CFP Selection Committee. The Fighting Irish and Tigers squared off in one of the best games of this college football season earlier this year, and while Notre Dame emerged victorious that time, the Irish are prohibitive underdogs per the college football betting odds on Saturday. Clemson is looking to win its sixth straight ACC Championship, and the Tigers were -600 to win this conference at the start of the year.

The 2020 ACC Championship Game will take place at Bank of America Stadium in Charlotte, North Carolina at 4 p.m. ET on ABC.

College Football Betting Odds

Clemson -10

Notre Dame +10

Total 59.5

Notre Dame knocked off Clemson as a 4.5-point underdog in South Bend last month. The Tigers were at a huge disadvantage in that game though as future No. 1 overall pick Trevor Lawrence wasn’t able to play after contracting COVID. D.J. Uiagalelei played very well in his stead, but Notre Dame’s offense amassed over 500 total yards in a 47-40 double overtime win.

Notre Dame Offense vs. Clemson Defense

The biggest surprise in the first meeting was how well Notre Dame ran the ball on Clemson’s front seven. Kyren Williams and Ian Book combined to run the ball 37 times for 207 yards and three touchdowns, keeping the Tigers’ offense off the field. Williams has run for 1,011 yards and 12 touchdowns this season, while being a competent receiver out of the backfield (11.2 YPR).

Book is Notre Dame’s second-leading rusher with 465 yards (5.1 YPC) and eight touchdowns. He is a great dual-threat quarterback, and he has made some real progression with his accuracy. Book is completing 63.3 percent of his passes for 8.3 YPA with 15 touchdowns and two interceptions.

Chase Claypool and Cole Kmet are now in the NFL, but Book still has some solid receivers to target through the air. Javon McKinley leads the team with 37 receptions for 660 yards and three touchdowns, and he is nearly twice as productive as any other receiver. Michael Mayer, Avery Davis, and Ben Skowronek are all having decent campaigns too.

The Tigers have done a great job defending the run against every team other than the Irish. Clemson is allowing just 3.1 YPC and 107.6 YPG on the ground, so defensive coordinator Brent Venables is likely to have a better gameplan this time. Linebacker Jake Venables will miss this game and safety Lannden Zanders is questionable to play.

Clemson Offense vs. Notre Dame Defense

Lawrence is completing 69.2 percent of his passes for over 2,400 yards (9.7 YPA) with 20 touchdowns and three interceptions. He is a decent runner, but Lawrence has the best arm we have seen in college football since Andrew Luck. His presence is why Clemson is a double-digit favorite in this game on Saturday, as he has taken the Tigers to the CFP National Championship Game in each of his two previous years under center.

Standout running back Travis Etienne had his worst game of the year against Notre Dame the first time around. Etienne carried the ball 18 times for 28 yards, averaging just 1.6 YPC. He has at least 4.0 YPC in every other game this season, and he is one of the most dangerous running backs out of the backfield in the country. Etienne has 41 receptions for 512 yards and two touchdowns.

Clemson is without a number of receivers for this game, but the Tigers have a bevy of four- and five-stars at the skill positions. Amari Rodgers and Cornell Powell have been the top two receivers with Rodgers hauling in 61 receptions for 845 yards and six touchdowns, while Powell has 41 receptions for 684 yards and five touchdowns.

The Fighting Irish rank 12^th in total defense (314.5 YPG) and scoring defense (17.1 PPG). This is an all-around solid defense, and the only thing they struggle at is forcing turnovers. Notre Dame has the second-best third down defense in the nation, but this unit will have to get it done without defensive coordinator Clark Lea as he is now the head coach of Vanderbilt.

Prediction

At this number, Notre Dame has to be the play. Clemson is likely to be a good option in live betting though, so keep an eye on that.

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