ACC Championship Total Prediction
What will win out in Saturday’s ACC Championship Game between No. 2 Clemson and Pittsburgh, the offense or the defense?
Game Snapshot & Odds
319 Pittsburgh vs. 320 Clemson
Saturday, December 1, 2018
8PM ET – Bank of America Stadium
TV: ABC
Public Betting Trends
According to oddsmakers at BetNow.eu, Clemson is favored heavily in this game, as the Tigers are getting odds of -27.5 points against Pittsburgh. The over/under total for the contest is currently listed at 52.5 points. The public betting currently has 70 percent going on Clemson as the favorite in this contest.
Panthers come in limping
After a surprising run in the ACC, Pittsburgh suffered a bad 24-3 loss at Miami last week to snap a four-game winning streak. The Panthers are 7-5 on the year, 7-5 against the spread and 7-5 with the under. Pitt has hit the under in two straight.
Pitt has not been known for lockdown defense this year. The Panthers rank in the bottom half of the nation in most defense stats. They are giving up 27.8 points and 400.9 yards per game. Their rush defense allows 175.3 yards per contest. When it comes to offense, Pitt averages 28 points and 386.1 yards per game. Their rushing offense ranks 17th nationally at 232.7 yards per contest. Qadree Ollison is leading the offense with 1,134 rushing yards and 10 touchdowns while Darrin Hall adds 935 yards and nine scores. Kenny Pickett has thrown for 1,825 passing yards and 12 touchdowns.
Clemson keeps rolling
The Tigers kept their unbeaten season going last week with a 56-35 win over South Carolina in their annual rivalry game. Clemson is now 12-0 on the season, 6-6 against the spread and 6-6 with the over/under total. The Tigers have hit the over in three of their last five.
Clemson has had one of the best defensive units all season. The Tigers have the fourth-ranked scoring defense (14 ppg) and ninth-ranked total defense (290.2 ypg). Their rushing defense ranks second nationally (91.8 ypg). On offense, Clemson is putting up 45.7 points per game, which ranks fifth in the country. Their 540.1 yards per game lands third in the nation. Running back Travis Etienne is leading the way with 1,307 rushing yards and 19 touchdowns while Trevor Lawrence has thrown for 2,488 yards and 22 touchdowns. Tee Higgins is the leading receiver with 49 catches for 766 yards and eight scores.
College Football Betting Trends
Pittsburgh
Pittsburgh has hit the under in 11 of its last 16 against ACC opponents but has hit the over in four of its last five games at a neutral site.
Clemson
Clemson has hit the under in six of its last eight games in December and in 11 of its last 16 against a winning team.
Prediction:
The last time these two met, it was a 43-42 win for Pittsburgh at Clemson. I don’t expect 85 points to be scored in Saturday’s game but there is definitely a lot of value in the over. Clemson should be able to run the ball at will on this Pitt defense. The Panthers have been known to give up some big totals against elite teams. While the Clemson defense is likely to pose some problems for the Pitt offense, I expect the Tigers to take their foot off the gas after establishing a big lead in the first half. That will allow the Panthers to score some second-half touchdowns and contribute to hitting the over.
ACC Championship Prediction: Pittsburgh/Clemson Over 52.5