The top-ranked Clemson Tigers will look to take down the fourth-ranked Notre Dame Fighting Irish on Saturday when the two ACC residents throw down in one of the most highly anticipated matchups on the entire 2020 NCAA college football schedule. However, the Tigers will be without superstar signal-caller Trevor Lawrence for the second straight game as he continues to sit out following a positive COVID-19 test result almost two weeks ago. Now, let’s find out if Clemson can get it done on the road without their starting quarterback or whether the Fighting Irish are the pick to take care of business at home. That said, let’s get right to it so you can place your bets against their NCAAF odds.
Clemson Vs Notre Dame Odds, Preview and Prediction
No. 1 Clemson (7-0) at No. 4 Notre Dame (6-0)
- When: Saturday, Nov. 7, 2020 at 7:30 PM ET
- Where: Notre Dame Stadium
Why Bet On No. 1 Clemson
There are a bunch of great reasons to back Clemson in this contest, even without star quarterback Trevor Lawrence under center. The Tigers have a superstar running back in Travis Etienne that is the reigning two-time ACC Player of the Year. In addition to that, Clemson also has a fantastic defense that ranks ninth nationally in total defense, 13th against the pass, 14th against the run and 13th in points allowed (15.6 ppg).
Clemson also managed to get past Boston College 34-28 last weekend as backup quarterback D.J. Uiagalelei completed 30 of 41 passes for 342 yards with two touchdowns and no interceptions while adding 25 rushing yards and another score on six carries. Travis Etienne added 84 rushing yards and one score on 20 carries while catching seven passes for 140 yards and another touchdown. Now, the Tigers will look to improve on their stellar 11-2 ATS mark in their last 13 games as a road favorite.
Why Bet On No. 4 Notre Dame
Notre Dame jumped all over Georgia Tech en route to a commanding 31-13 blowout win last weekend as quarterback Ian Book passed for 199 yards and one touchdown while running back Kyren Williams rushed for 76 yards and two scores on 15 carries. Defensively, the Fighting Irish racked up five sacks, one fumble recovery while limiting the Yellow Jackets to a modest 88 rushing yards in the win. Now, the Irish will look to improve on their pristine 5-0 ATS mark in their last 5 games as a home underdog.
Expert Analysis and Prediction
I know Trevor Lawrence is out of the lineup and that seemingly give Notre Dame a big advantage in this matchup, but I’ve done a lot of research on Tigers backup D.J. Uiagalelei and it’s easy to see why he was recruited by virtually every powerhouse program in college football including Alabama.
Not only does he have an absolute cannon for a right arm that most NFL quarterbacks can’t match, but the gifted freshman isn’t in overcome by big moments and won’t get rattled on Saturday – even against a Notre Dame defense that is undeniably elite. In short, I believe Uiagalelei is probably just as good, if not better, than Notre Dame starter Ian Book.
While Notre Dame has gone a stellar 13-3 ATS in their last 16 home games against a team with a winning road record and 7-3 ATS in their last 10 games following a straight up win, Clemson has gone 12-3 ATS in their last 15 road games and 8-2 ATS in their last 10 road games against a team with a winning home record.
Despite being on the road and starting an inexperienced quarterback, I think Clemson is the more complete team and we;ll see that play out on Saturday as the Tigers win and very narrowly, cover the chalk!
Pick: Clemson 30 Notre Dame 24
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