In a Week 10 slate that features plenty of marquee matchups, college football fans will get a showdown between the Clemson Tigers and the Notre Dame Fighting Irish on Saturday at Notre Dame Stadium.
This week’s matchup has lost some of its luster compared to previous years, but that doesn’t mean it isn’t important. Saturday’s road tilt might end up being Clemson’s last real hurdle of the regular season, as the Tigers aim to return to the College Football Playoff.
Clemson (8-0, 6-0 ACC) has yet to lose a game this season, though it certainly hasn’t always been easy. The Tigers needed a late comeback bid, which was fueled by a quarterback switch, to record a 27-21 win over Syracuse two weeks ago. The Tigers have won three of their league games by just single digits.
Notre Dame is also coming off a win over Syracuse, a much more convincing result with a 41-24 victory on the road. The Fighting Irish have now won five of their last six games after starting the season 0-2 under first-year head coach Marcus Freeman.
The Tigers have won four of their six meetings with the Fighting Irish, including a 3-1 record since 2015. Caesars Sportsbook is giving the nod to Clemson as a 4.5-point road favorite with an over/under of 44.
Let’s take a closer look at the odds and trends:
Notre Dame vs. Clemson
Time/TV: 7:30 p.m. ET, NBC
Point spread (from Caesars Sportsbook): Clemson -4.5
Money line: Clemson -195/Notre Dame +162
Over/under: 44
Analysis: Clemson opened as a 3-point favorite, and bettors have taken advantage of the short spread early in the week. At the current price, the Tigers have an implied probability of 66% of winning this game and staying undefeated.
Doesn’t it just seem like both the spread and implied probability are too low? The Tigers have a real shot of being in the CFP conversation by the end of the month, while the Fighting Irish have lost to the likes of Marshall and Stanford and struggled to put away other inferior squads.
Neither of these teams has inspired much confidence for bettors, as both teams are 4-4 against the spread so far this season. But the Fighting Irish likely will struggle offensively against a Tigers defense giving up 19.9 points per game.
Clemson’s quarterback situation remains in flux after D.J. Uiagalelei was benched for Cade Klubnik last time out. Regardless of who Dabo Swinney decides to roll with, the Tigers shouldn’t need much scoring to cover this number.
Prediction: Clemson 27, Notre Dame 17
