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Clemson remains undefeated in ACC play but has to contend with two other teams through the first nine weeks. Louisville has gone through a challenging schedule, and it won't get more manageable on a night date in Death Valley. It is time to continue our college football odds series with a Louisville-Clemson prediction and pick.
Louisville could present a formidable challenge to Clemson's winning streak, as the Tigers have lost all their games to the best in the ACC. Three teams remain undefeated in conference play, and two of them, SMU and Miami, have beaten Louisville. The third undefeated team is Clemson. Louisville's other loss this season was on the road in South Bend against Notre Dame.
The obituaries for Clemson Football were written after losing 34-3 to Georgia in the season opener. We were contemplating who would replace Dabo Swinney as the head coach, but we should have known he'd hear the critics and have his players ready for the rest of the season. Clemson has been on a revenge tour, scoring 40 or more points in five of their last six consecutive victories. They've also covered the spread convincingly in four of those victories. Their defense has some question marks, but it doesn't matter if their offense keeps producing at an elite rate.
Here are the Louisville-Clemson College Football odds, courtesy of FanDuel.
College Football Odds: Louisville-Clemson Odds
Louisville: +10.5 (-110)
Moneyline: +325
Clemson: -10.5 (-110)
Moneyline: -425
Over: 61 (-110)
Under: 61 (-110)
How to Watch Louisville vs. Clemson
Time: 7:30 PM ET/4:30 PM PT
TV: ESPN
Stream: fuboTV (Free Trial)
Why Louisville Could Cover The Spread/Win
Louisville has the tools to keep pace with a potent Clemson offense in this matchup. It has been a breakout for Tyler Shough over the past few weeks, as he has passed 300+ yards in three of his last five games. Shough is averaging 299.6 yards per game with 12 touchdowns and five interceptions. His most impressive performance may have been against Cam Ward and the Miami Hurricanes, as he matched Ward step-for-step with 342 yards and four touchdowns. Louisville will need him to do the same against Cade Klubnik.
Louisville ranks tenth in passing yards per game, while Clemson is 68th in passing yards allowed. The only passing defense metric where Clemson excels is in completion percentage allowed, which hasn't been a problem for Shough.
Why Clemson Could Cover The Spread/Win
Clemson's offense has been well-oiled since their disappointing three-point performance against Georgia. Most elite teams in college football excel in one area of their offense, but Clemson ranks 25th in rushing yards per game and 17th in passing yards. This translates to fifth in overall yards, averaging 490.4 per game. Louisville's defense has a similar makeup but is the opposite. They are average at defending both the run and pass but aren't spectacular.
Clemson has won six games in a row and has covered the spread in four of those six games. In the two games they failed to cover, they missed by half a point and 3.5. It could've easily been a six-game streak against the spread and outright for the Tigers.
Final Louisville-Clemson Prediction & Pick
It's hard to bet against Clemson right now, and Louisville's challenging schedule doesn't hold as much weight when they've failed to cover the spread in five straight games. They've played the other undefeated teams in the ACC and didn't cover the spread against them, which makes Clemson seem like a perfect spot with their home-field advantage, considering Louisville's failed covers were at home.
Final Louisville-Clemson Prediction & Pick: Clemson -10.5 (-110)
