The No. 22 Virginia Cavaliers are considerable favorites against the No. 3 Clemson Tigers in the Dr. Pepper ACC Championship Game. Fans can catch the action live on ABC and the opening kickoff is scheduled for 7:30 p.m. ET.
Betting Preview: Virginia Cavaliers vs. Clemson Tigers
Virginia is a big road underdog here and is currently getting 29 points from oddsmakers. Oddsmakers have placed the over/under (O/U) at 54 points, and if one school catches a lucky break early on, it will likely create a reasonable in-game betting opportunity.
Odds have moved slightly from when they were originally posted. The line opened at -28 and the game’s total was initially placed at 53.5.
The Cavaliers are 6-5-1 against the spread (ATS) and have gained 3.1 units so far. The team has recorded an Over-Under mark of 8-4.
The Tigers have gained 1.0 unit for moneyline bettors this season. They’re 9-3 ATS and have an O/U record of 5-7.
The unblemished Cavaliers are 9-3 straight up (SU), including 6-2 SU against conference opponents. The Tigers are 12-0 SU overall and 8-0 SU in conference play.
These two conference adversaries did not get a chance to face each other last season.
The Cavaliers continue riding high after a 39-30 victory over Virginia Tech last week. The Wahoos defense allowed the Hokies to pass for 311 yards while rushing for 172 yards and two scores. On the offensive side of the ball, Bryce Perkins completed 20 passes for 311 yards, as well as one score and a pick. Perkins (164 yards on 19 rush attempts, two TDs) also led the running attack. Joe Reed (five receptions, 66 yards) and Hasise Dubois (four catches, 139 yards) handled the receiving duties in the win.
Clemson just earned a 38-3 win over South Carolina. As a group, the Tigers collectively completed 28-of-43 passes for 316 yards and three touchdowns. Trevor Lawrence went 26-for-36 for 295 yards and three touchdowns while Chase Brice was two-of-five for 21 yards. Travis Etienne (51 yards on 15 rush attempts, two TDs) and Lyn-J Dixon (60 yards on 12 carries) mounted the running game as Justyn Ross (nine receptions, 111 yards, one TD) and Etienne (three catches, 37 yards) led the receiving attack in the win.
Virginia has run the ball on 47.8 percent of its offensive possessions this year while Clemson has an overall rush percentage of 53.5 percent. The Cavaliers have produced 128.4 rush yards per game (including 128.1 per game versus Atlantic Coast opponents) and have 28 scores on the ground this year. The Tigers are putting up 256.4 rushing yards per game (261.4 in conference) and have 36 total rush TDs.
If 2019 numbers can translate to this game, then the Tigers ought to own an edge in terms of RB effectiveness. Their running backs has generated 6.5 yards per carry while the defense is allowing a YPC of 2.9 to opponents. The Cavaliers have tallied 3.9 yards per carry while allowing 3.5 YPC to opponents.
The Wahoos offensive scheme has logged 261.2 yards/contest in the air overall (257.3 per game against conference opposition) and has 17 passing TDs so far. The Tigers have recorded 285.3 pass yards per game (291 against ACC competition) and have 34 total pass scores.
Defensively, Virginia has let opponents run for an average of 123.3 yards and pass for 213.3 yards per game. The Clemson D has given up 126.5 yards per game to opposing passers and 106.3 yards per game to opposing runners. The Tigers are allowing an adjusted net yards per pass attempt (ANY/A) of only 2.33 to opponents, while the Cavaliers have given up a 5.58 ANY/A.
Lawrence has been sharper than Perkins of late. The Tigers man under center has an adjusted net yards per pass attempt 9.17 for the season and 10.04 across his past two games while Perkins’ ANY/A is 5.81 and 7.49 over the last two games.
Virginia Cavaliers at Clemson Tigers Free Pick
SU Winner: Clemson, ATS Winner: Virginia, O/U: Under
Betting Notes
- As a team, Virginia has averaged 5.3 yards per carry over its last three outings and 5.9 over its last two.
- Clemson has averaged 5.3 yards per carry over its last three games and only 4.9 over its last two.
- The Clemson offense has lost four fumbles this season while Virginia has lost six.
- The Cavaliers offense has tallied seven pass plays of 40 yards or more, while the Tigers have put up 10 such plays.
- The Virginia defense has allowed 11 pass plays of 40 yards or more, while Clemson has given up five such plays.
- The Virginia offense has created 11 rushing plays of 20 or more yards, while Clemson has created 25 such runs.
- The Cavaliers defense has allowed 12 rushing plays of 20+ yards, while the Tigers have given up eight such runs.
- The Virginia D has sacked opposing QBs 43 times this year. Clemson has registered just 36 sacks.
