LSU vs. Clemson Spread Prediction
LSU is still laying 5 or 5.5 points at most sports books ahead of its matchup with Clemson in College Football’s National Championship Game. Will Joe Burrow add one more victory to his historic season while also covering in the process? Or is Clemson the better play?
Game Snapshot
283 Clemson Tigers (+5) at 284 LSU (-5); o/u 67
8:00 p.m. ET, Monday, January 13, 2020
Mercedes-Benz Superdome, New Orleans, LA
Public Betting
According to our College Football Public Betting Chart page, the LSU Tigers are drawing the majority of tickets from public bettors. As of this writing, 63% of betting tickets are on LSU to cover the 5-point spread tonight versus Clemson.
LSU Tigers Fantasy Spin
LSU redshirt senior QB Joe Burrow completed seven passes of at least 20 yards versus Oklahoma, tying for the second-most in any game over the past two seasons, according to Pro Football Focus. The explosive passing plays were flowing against the Sooners defense. Burrow, already known for being able to generate explosive plays from anywhere, completed a whopping seven throws that earned at least 20 yards. Though Oklahoma’s defense isn’t spectacular, that is a heck of a feat to complete against any defense. Expect Burrow (6’4/216) to carry over some of that spark into the National Championship against Clemson.
Clemson Tigers Fantasy Spin
Clemson junior RB Travis Etienne carried the ball 10 times for 36 yards with a touchdown and caught three passes for 98 yards with two scores in a 29-23 win over Ohio State on Saturday in the Playstation Fiesta Bowl. Etienne couldn’t find much running room on his rushing attempts, although he was able to find the end zone in the second quarter to put the Tigers on the board. He made two massive plays as a receiver, however, including the game-winning touchdown from 34-yards away with just 1:49 left. The 6-foot, 210-pound tailback will now get a chance to win another national title when he and Clemson take on LSU.
Betting Trends
LSU
The Tigers are 4-0 against the spread in their last four games versus a team with a winning record and are 4-1 ATS in their last five bowl games.
Clemson
The Tigers are 10-1 against the spread in their last 11 bowl games and are 9-1 against the number in their last 10 bowl games as an underdog.
Prediction
As I wrote in my breakdown of the total, I think Clemson runs the ball effectively with Etienne and Trevor Lawrence, who surprised Ohio State with his legs in the semi-finals game a couple of weeks ago. Running the ball does two things for Clemson: Exposes one of LSU’s only weakness, which is its run defense, and keeps Burrow and that dynamic offense off the field. It has to be a time of possession game for Clemson and if it is, then Dabo Swinney and Co. have a shot to win the game outright. If Clemson is in third-and-long all night, then LSU wins in a route and the 5-point spread won’t matter. Plus, DC Brent Venables is the best in the nation when it comes to in-game adjustments, as he showed against Ohio State, which largely dominated Clemson in the first half of the semi-finals matchups. If any coaching staff is going to put its players in a good position to succeed, it’s Clemson’s. Give me the defending champs that hasn’t lost in over a year.
2020 National Championship Game Spread Prediction: Clemson Tigers +5