The Louisiana Tech Bulldogs take on the Clemson Tigers. Check out our college football odds series for our Louisiana Tech Clemson prediction and pick.
The Clemson Tigers have one more dress rehearsal this season. They played Furman this past weekend. Now they host Louisiana Tech in Week 3. One week later, in Week 4, the Tigers will face defending ACC Atlantic Division champion Wake Forest, the team which dethroned Clemson in its division and prevented the Tigers from returning to their normal spot in the ACC Championship Game. Clemson needs to come out of this Louisiana Tech game ready to handle Wake and make a move back to the top of the Atlantic. The Tigers have a lot to prove this season, so they need this Louisiana Tech game to advance the team's developmental arc before the Wake game and the rest of the ACC schedule.
When we look at what Clemson needs to do, the answer is very obvious. The Tigers have what is, by all appearances, a great defense which is primed for a big year. So many proven, established stars reside on this defense. Even without Brent Venables as defensive coordinator — he is now head coach at Oklahoma — Clemson figures to have an elite defensive unit. We have seen that in the first two games. Clemson has not allowed more than 12 points in either of its first two games this season.
It's all about the O. It's all about the offense at Clemson in 2022. The Tigers have not looked very good on this side of the ball. They played a mediocre two and a half quarters in the opener against Georgia Tech before finally putting together some good drives in the final 20 minutes of that contest. They managed only 35 against an FCS opponent in Week 2. Clemson seems to have failed to improve on offense compared to 2021, when the Tigers continuously struggled to move the ball and finish drives. The Louisiana Tech game needs to bring about notable improvements. Dabo Swinney needs to see his offense produce at a steady rate throughout the game. Clemson didn't do much in the first half against Georgia Tech. It didn't do much in the second half against Furman. Clemson's offense needs a complete 60-minute display against Louisiana Tech.
Courtesy of FanDuel, here are the Louisiana Tech-Clemson College Football odds.
College Football Odds: Louisiana Tech-Clemson Odds
Louisiana Tech Bulldogs: +33.5 (-110)
Clemson: -33.5 (-110)
Over: 53.5 (-112)
Under: 53.5 (-108)
Why Louisiana Tech Could Cover the Spread
Just look at the Clemson offense and you'll see why Tech should cover. Tech might not do a whole lot against Clemson's great defense, but Clemson's offense needs to score 45 to 52 points to cover the spread here. If Clemson scores just 38 points, Louisiana Tech will cover the spread with one touchdown. Are we convinced Clemson is ready to score 49 on Tech after managing only 35 against Furman? It's not a very convincing claim to make if you think Clemson is going to start popping on offense. That's not likely to happen.
Why Clemson Could Cover the Spread
After a game which amounted to a glorified scrimmage against Furman, Clemson should be better in this game. Do remember that Clemson played Georgia Tech on a Monday. The Furman game was played with just four days of rest. Of course Clemson wasn't going to score a ton of points in that game. Now, with a full week of rest, we should see Clemson play a lot better. That's a key detail to pay attention to.
Final Louisiana Tech-Clemson Prediction & Pick
Having a full week of rest should enable Clemson to play a lot closer to its potential. The Tigers will score at least 49, and they will cover.
Final Louisiana Tech-Clemson Prediction & Pick: Clemson -33.5
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