The Clemson Tigers are a win away from returning to the College Football Playoff championship game after missing it a year ago. However, they will be up against the tough Notre Dame Fighting Irish side, which is looking to score an upset this coming Saturday. Will the Tigers waltz into the national title game at the expense of Notre Dame? Or will the Fighting Irish book a spot in the most anticipated game of the year? Going into the meeting, the sportsbook favors the Clemson Tigers by more than two touchdowns.
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Betting Preview for the Notre Dame Fighting Irish vs Clemson Tigers College Football Cotton Bowl CFB Semifinal Game on December 29 2018
Where: AT&T Stadium, Arlington Texas
When: Saturday, December 28, 2018, 4:00 PM ET
Line: Notre Dame Fighting Irish (+12.5) vs Clemson Tigers (-12.5) – view all 2018 NCAAF lines
TV Broadcast: ESPN
Betting on the Notre Dame Fighting Irish (12-0 Overall / 0-0 Conference)
At the end of the day, it was hard to argue against the Fighting Irish’s undefeated 12-0 record after the regular season. Notre Dame’s success is based mostly on the quality of work quarterback Ian Book has done under center. Book entered the bowl season with 2,486 passing yards, 19 touchdowns and six interceptions with a high 70.4 completion percentage. The Fighting Irish are likely to get into some sort of trouble opposite Clemson’s defense littered with NFL-ready talents, but they can draw plenty of optimism from the fact that lesser quarterbacks thank Book have had success against the Tigers. Guys like Kellen Mond of Texas A&M and South Carolina’s Jake Bentley, who both passed for no fewer than 430 yards in their respective meetings with the Tigers. Notre Dame’s defense isn’t too shabby itself, as it is ninth in the nation with just 17.2 points allowed per game.
The Fighting Irish are 2-1-1 against the spread (ATS) in their last four games.
Betting on the Clemson Tigers (13-0 Overall / 8-0 Conference)
Clemson is undefeated and, outside of the Alabama Crimson Tide, is generally perceived as the best team in the nation because of several factors. Among them is their aforementioned defense that is consisted of several pieces that likely would find themselves on NFL rosters next year. The Tigers are third in the nation with just 14.2 points and 286.2 total yards surrendered per contest, third and fourth in the nation, respectively. The Tigers’ defensive line is arguably where their identity lies. Clemson likes to make life terrible for opposing quarterbacks, as evidenced by their season total of 46 sacks, the third most in the nation. Notre Dame has a pretty solid pass protection in front of Book, but he’s been sacked four times in the Fighting Irish’s last two games, which is to say that it’s nothing that the Tigers could not possibly bend and break. On offense, Clemson will rely on quarterback Trevor Lawrence, who has thrown 2,606 yards and 24 touchdowns against only four interceptions this season.
Clemson is 7-3 ATS in their last 10 games.
Writer’s Prediction
It looks like a happy new year to come as Clemson wins, 32-24.
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