Pittsburgh at Clemson Odds, Betting Pick & TV Info

Posted by Kenny Bell on Wednesday,November 9, 2016 8:58, EDT in

College Football News, Online Betting Tips, Picks & Previews

The No. 2 Clemson Tigers can clinch their second straight ACC Atlantic Division title and another trip to the conference championship game — this year in Orlando — most likely against Virginia Tech if Clemson can take care of business against Pittsburgh on Saturday. And the Tigers are sizable favorites in online college football betting.

Pittsburgh at Clemson Odds, Betting Pick & TV Info

#Pitt and @ClemsonFB renew ties for the first time in 39 years. Read the Panthers’ official game notes here: https://t.co/IC0nuO2BCH pic.twitter.com/wCWwxCfTdx

— Pitt Football (@Pitt_FB) November 7, 2016

When: Saturday, Nov. 12, 3:30 PM ET
Where: Memorial Stadium, Clemson
TV: ABC
Stream: WatchESPN
Radio: Pittsburgh / Clemson
Opening NCAA Football Lines: Clemson -20.5 (67)

Why Bet on Pittsburgh?

The Panthers (5-4, 2-3 ACC) were clobbered 51-28 at Miami last week. The Hurricanes ended Pitt’s seven-game streak of scoring 36+ points. Nathan Peterman threw for 274 yards and two touchdowns for Pitt. Quadree Henderson had a 100-yard kickoff return for a touchdown for the Panthers, who have dropped two straight. Pitt had two costly third-quarter turnovers, a fumble deep in its own territory that Miami turned into a touchdown and then an interception in the end zone.

Pitt topped 400 yards of total offense for the eighth time this season, tallying 417 total yards on 287 yards passing and 130 yards rushing. Junior running back James Conner scored the 49th total touchdown of his collegiate career on a 12-yard burst on a sweep right in the second quarter. With the touchdown, the 47th rushing TD of his career and 49th overall, Conner moved into a tie with Clemson’s James Davis for second in ACC history in rushing scores. Conner is now tied for fifth in ACC history in overall TDs.

Henderson leads the country with a school-record three kick return touchdowns this year. He has four over his last 10 games, including another 100-yarder against Navy in the 2015 Military Bowl. Henderson is also the national leader in kickoff return average (33.8) and ranks second in combined kick return yards (872).

Clemson will be the highest-rated opponent Pitt has faced in nine years. On Dec. 1, 2007, the Panthers visited West Virginia, ranked No. 1 by the coaches and No. 2 by AP. Pitt shocked the Mountaineers, 13-9, knocking them from the national title picture.

Why Bet on Clemson?

The Tigers boast a Top 25 offense and defense. They come off a 54-0 win over Syracuse. With a 10-0 lead, Clemson scored 20 second-quarter points behind 330 yards of offense to pull away. Deshaun Watson did his part when he found Deon Cain for a 65-yard touchdown pass early in the second quarter, the longest play of the season for the Tigers. Watson did injure his shoulder and didn’t play the second half but could have if the game was close.

Watson improved to 27-2 as Clemson’s starting quarterback. Watson had touchdowns through the air and on the ground. It marked the 13th time in his career in which he scored at least one of each in a game. Watson has had at least one touchdown pass in 25 straight games, the longest active streak in the nation. Watson increased his career output to 9,742 yards of total offense. He needs just 22 yards to pass Charlie Whitehurst for second place in Clemson history.

The Tigers amassed 565 yards of total offense. Clemson is 90-1- 1 (and 5-0 this season) when gaining at least 500 total yards. Clemson won its 15th consecutive game over an ACC team. That includes last year’s ACC Championship Game win over North Carolina. The Clemson record is 20 (1981-84). It was Clemson’s 21st consecutive win in Memorial Stadium, already a school record. The record for consecutive games without a loss at home is 25 (1980-84) (23-0- 2). Clemson has won 23 consecutive regular-season games and 26 non-national championship games in a row.

Clemson will honor its 2016 senior class prior to the game against the Panthers. That class has an record of 44-6, the best winning percentage in school history. It has a home record of 25-1 in Memorial Stadium, one shy of tying the record of 26 set by the 2014 and 2015 classes.

Clemson welcomes Pittsburgh to Death Valley for the first time in history; the Tigers and Panthers have played just once, with Pitt claiming the 1977 Gator Bowl in Jacksonville, Fla.