The Clemson Tigers will take on the Iowa State Cyclones in the Cheez-It Bowl. It's time to continue our college football odds series and make a Clemson-Iowa State prediction and pick.

Any year that doesn't end in a playoff berth for Clemson is seen as a disappointment, and this season is no different. Expectations were sky-high for the Tigers as they entered the year, but losses to the NC State Wolfpack and the Pitt Panthers crippled any chance of Clemson playing in the College Football Playoff. Instead, they face an Iowa State team that also had high expectations for the season. The Cyclones were expected to make a run at a playoff berth, but poor offensive play and all-around inconsistency doomed their year. A win for either team would be a nice consolation prize for a lost season, so let's get into the pick.

Here are the Clemson-Iowa State Cheez-It Bowl odds, courtesy of FanDuel.

College Football Odds: Clemson-Iowa State Cheez-It Bowl Odds

Clemson Tigers: -1 (-115)

Iowa State Cyclones: +1 (-105)

Over: 44.5 (-110)

Under: 44.5 (-110)

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Why Clemson Could Cover the Spread

The Tigers were one of the better defensive teams in the nation this season. Clemson only allowed 16 points per game on the year, and they excelled at stopping opposing run games. The Tigers gave up 2.9 yards per carry to opposing running backs throughout the season, placing Clemson inside the top ten in the nation in that metric. Against the pass, the Tigers only gave up a 58% completion percentage and 6.9 yards per play. This is a tough defense to face under any circumstances, but the Cyclones have it worse than normal. Star running back Breece Hall has opted out of this game in order to prepare for the NFL Draft, so the offense will have to operate without its best overall player.

Hall isn't the only impactful opt-out that the Cyclones will be missing. Starting safety Isheem Young announced that he entered the transfer portal, meaning he won't take the field here. Neither will backup receivers Joe Scates and Tarique Milton, two players who played important roles off of the bench. Iowa State will be far from full strength here.

Why Iowa State Could Cover the Spread

Clemson was a dominant defensive team this season, but their offense left a lot to be desired. Now the struggling Tigers have to face one of the best defenses in the nation in the Cyclones. Iowa State gave up 21 points and 313 yards per game, two of the best numbers in the nation. The Cyclones also generated a sack on nearly 10% of their defensive plays, which is another incredible number. Clemson had trouble protecting quarterback DJ Uiagalelei all season long, so the Cyclone defensive line should be able to take over this game.

While the Tigers don't have many players who will miss this game, they'll be missing several key coaches. Defensive coordinator Brent Venables, one of the best assistant coaches in all of college football, took the head coaching job at Oklahoma. He'll be absent from the sideline. As will offensive coordinator Tony Elliott, who also accepted a head coaching job at Virginia. Both of those coaches were key to Clemson's success, so functioning without them will be a challenge.

Final Clemson-Iowa State Cheez-It Bowl Prediction & Pick

This is the perfect setting for a defensive slugfest. Lock in the under and watch two of the nation's best defenses battle it out.

Final Clemson-Iowa State Cheez-It Bowl Pick: Under: 44.5 (-110)