Georgia Tech vs No. 6 Clemson ACC Matchup

Six-time consecutive ACC football champion Clemson opens conference play on Saturday as a huge NCAAF betting favorite over a school it has dominated in recent years in Georgia Tech. The Tigers haven’t lost a home game in years.

How to Bet Georgia Tech at Clemson NCAA Football Odds & TV Info

When: Saturday, 3:30 PM ET
Where: Memorial Stadium
TV: ABC
Stream: ESPN app
Radio: Tunein.com
Opening NCAAF Lines: Clemson -28.5 (total 52)

Series History

Clemson rolled Georgia Tech 73-7 last year. The Tigers piled up 52 points in the first half behind five touchdown passes from quarterback Trevor Lawrence, who is of course now in the NFL. The 52 points were Clemson’s most in a first half against an ACC opponent, breaking its previous record of 49 against Wake Forest in 1981. Lawrence was 22-27 passing for 391 yards and five touchdowns in the first half alone. He finished with 405 yards through the air. Clemson’s 66-point victory margin tied for its seventh-largest all-time and its largest since a 66-point win against South Carolina State in 2014.

While Clemson ha won the past six in the series, Georgia Tech leads 51-33-2.

Why Bet on Georgia Tech?

The Jackets (1-1) come off a 45-17 win over Kennesaw State. Jordan Yates set a Georgia Tech record with four touchdown passes in his first-career start. Yates, who completed 17-of-23 passes for 254 yards, became the first Yellow Jacket to ever throw for four touchdowns in the first start of his collegiate career. His four TD passes also tied for the third-most ever in Georgia Tech history, just one shy of the single-game school record shared by Eddie McAshan (1972 vs. Rice) and Joe Hamilton (1999 vs. Clemson). Tech’s 28-point margin of victory is its largest in three seasons head coach Geoff Collins (prev.: 23 in 56-33 win over Duke, Nov. 28, 2020).

Receiver Kyric McGowan caught two touchdown passes (4 and 39 yards). The graduate transfer from Northwestern has three touchdown receptions in his first two games at Georgia Tech, which is one more than the two that he caught in his first four collegiate seasons. Jordan Domineck was named ACC Defensive Lineman of the Week after becoming the first NCAA Division I FBS player in 12 years to record a sack, three tackles for loss, two forced fumbles.

It presumably will be Yates at QB here but not for sure. It could be Jeff Sims, who started all 10 of Tech’s games last season and the season opener against Northern Illinois. Sims was knocked out of the Northern Illinois game after injuring his left arm or shoulder. Yates replaced him in that game and then had a superior performance against the Owls. Including his backup role against Northern Illinois, Yates has thrown five touchdown passes without an interception.

“I’m getting more comfortable,” Yates said. “That comes with reps. As I get more experience, I’ll get more comfortable in the pocket for sure.”

Why Bet on Clemson?

Clemson (1-1) followed an opening loss to Georgia with a 49-3 win over South Carolina State last week. Five different Tigers found the endzone and Clemson amassed 262 passing and 242 rushing yards. DJ Uiagalelei finished the day 14-24 for 171 yards and a touchdown, while also scampering for 23 yards and two touchdowns on five carries.

Clemson’s defense held SC State to 235 total yards of offense (132 passing, 103 rushing) and held an opponent without an offensive touchdown for the second-straight game. This marks Clemson’s first time doing so since holding Kent State and Auburn out of the end zone in the first two games of 2017. The last time Clemson held its first three opponents without an offensive TD was 1950.

Clemson enters this contest having won 29 consecutive games at Death Valley, a school record and the nation’s longest active streak. With a win on Saturday, Clemson can tie 1928-33 Tennessee, 1952-61 Auburn and 1994-99 Florida (30 each) for the 21^st-longest home winning streak in FBS history. It would be the 24th home winning streak of 30 games or more in FBS history.

The Tigers are looking to improve to 43-25-1 in conference openers since joining the ACC and 53-3 against ACC opponents (including postseason play) since the start of the 2015 season.

Clemson is attempting to win a seventh straight home contest against Georgia Tech, dating back to 2010. The current six-game home winning streak against the Yellow Jackets is already Clemson’s longest such streak in series history.