Clemson vs Pittsburgh 2018 ACC Championship Lines & Prediction

Clemson vs Pittsburgh 2018 ACC Championship Lines & Prediction

Written by on November 29, 2018

In most cases, the Conference Championship Games in college football tend to feature a pair of teams that are quite evenly matched. There are, of course, situations where things don’t play out quite that way. In some conferences, you have one division that is loaded while the other is wide-open, which can lead to a mismatch depending on how things play out. It’s fair to suggest that we have a bit of a David Vs Goliath scenario at play in the ACC Championship Game this weekend, with the unbeaten Clemson Tigers in as an overwhelming favorite against the surprising Pittsburgh Panthers.

While this certainly has all the makings of a one-sided affair, you just never know what might happen in a one-off game. There really is zero pressure on the Panthers coming into this one, which might just allow them to embrace the role of the underdog and go for it. They will start this game as a whopping 27.5-point underdog, with the point total set at 53.

Clemson vs Pittsburgh 2018 ACC Championship Lines & Prediction

  • When: Saturday, December 1 at 8 PM EST
  • Where: Bank of America Stadium, Charlotte
  • TV: ABC
  • Radio: TuneIn
  • Live Stream: ABC Go
  • 2018 ACC Championship Betting Lines: Clemson Tigers -27.5 (Total 53)
 

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Weather Forecast

  • Chance of Rain: 14°C/58°F
  • Humidity: 94%
  • Precipitation: 69%
  • Cloud Cover: 100%
  • Wind: 7 mph SSE

Why bet on the Clemson Tigers?

The Clemson Tigers have been the model of consistency in the playoff era, quietly going about their business and racking up wins. This season has been a little different, though, as there have been a couple of bumps along the way, starting with a QB controversy early in the year. The move made then to put Trevor Lawrence in as the starter has worked, but with Kelly Bryant shipping out, this team is one QB injury away from disaster.

There have also been a couple of close calls in this unbeaten season, most notably against Syracuse and Texas A&M, games the Tigers were lucky to escape unscathed. All of that aside, Clemson have traditionally been a great SU pick, as they are again here, but there is something to look out for here. The Tigers are just 2-8 ATS in the last 8 games that they have started as a favorite by 21 points or more.

Team Stats

Offense
  • Average Score For: 45.67
  • Total Yards: 539.08
  • Rush Yards: 256.75
  • Passing Yards: 282.33
Defense
  • Average Score Against: 14.00
  • Total Yards: 283.17
  • Rush Yards: 84.75
  • Passing Yards: 198.42

Why bet on the Pittsburgh Panthers?

This is certainly, on paper at least, a lopsided affair, and the point spread may just have ben set a little higher after the Panthers put in a very poor performance versus the Miami Hurricanes last weekend. Pitt managed just 3 points in that one and will be going against an even tougher defensive unit this weekend.

Clemson vs Pittsburgh should be an easy victory for the Tigers.

The one thing to remember about that loss is that it was a meaningless game for the Panthers, as they had already punched their ticket into the title game. Prior to that one, Pitt were on a run that saw them cover the spread in 6 straight games. They are 5-3 ATS as the underdog this season and have covered the spread in 7 of their last 10 games overall.

Team Stats

Offense
  • Average Score For: 28.00
  • Total Yards: 386.09
  • Rush Yards: 232.67
  • Passing Yards: 153.42
Defense
  • Average Score Against: 27.75
  • Total Yards: 399.91
  • Rush Yards: 174.33
  • Passing Yards: 225.58

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Clemson vs Pittsburgh 2018 ACC Championship Game Betting Trends

  • Clemson is 5-2 ATS in its last 7 games
  • Clemson is 5-0 SU in its last 5 games
  • Pittsburgh is 6-1 ATS in its last 7 games
  • Pittsburgh is 4-1 SU in its last 5 games
  • The total has gone UNDER in 4 of Pittsburgh’s last 6 games

Expert Pick & Final Score Prediction for Clemson vs Pittsburgh

I certainly don’t think that there is any doubt that Clemson will win here, but I think they will be looking to get the job done early so that they can taker some starters out and avoid injury ahead of future playoff games. That might just allow Pitt to tack on some late points and cover the spread.

Score: Clemson Tigers 40 – Pittsburgh Panthers 20