Clemson Tigers at Louisville Cardinals Week 3 Point Spread Pick - Odds

Clemson Tigers at Louisville Cardinals Week 3 Point Spread Pick - Odds

David Schwab
Date: September 16, 8:00 pm
Location: Papa John’s Cardinal Stadium
TV: ABC

Betting Odds

Point Spread: Clemson -3
Total: 56

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Both the Clemson Tigers and the Louisville Cardinals are looking to cement their early spot as the top team in the ACC this season in a huge showdown this Saturday night at Papa John’s Cardinal Stadium. Kickoff is set for 8 p.m. (ET) with national coverage on ABC.
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Clemson at Louisville Game Overview<br />
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Following a 56-3 romp over Kent State in Week 1 as a 38-point home favorite, Clemson proved that it is more than ready to defend its national title with hard-fought 14-6 victory against then-No. 13 Auburn as a six-point favorite at home. The total stayed UNDER 55 points in last week’s win after going OVER the 52-point closing line in Week 1. The Tigers head into their first road game of the season with a 1-3 record against the spread in their last four games on the road.
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Kelly Bryant has not made Clemson fans forget about Deshaun Watson just yet, but he has been very efficient throwing the ball with a 68.6 percent completion rate on 51 attempts for 417 yards and one touchdown throw. He has also added 136 yards and three touchdowns on the ground on 26 carries as the team’s leading rusher. Getting past Louisville on the road is still going to come down to a Tigers’ defense that held Auburn to just 117 yards of total offense last week.
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Louisville is also off to a SU 2-0 start with early victories against Purdue (35-28) and North Carolina (47-35) on the road. It failed to cover as heavy 25.5-point road favorites in the win against the Boilermakers and the conference opener against the Tar Heels ended as a PUSH. The Cardinals went an even 3-3 ATS in six home games last season and the total went OVER in four of those contests.
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Junior quarterback Lamar Jackson is off to a strong start in his bid to repeat as the 2016 Heisman Trophy winner. Through his first two starts, he has thrown for 771 yards and five touchdowns against zero interceptions while completing 64.7 percent of his 85 passing attempts. When it comes to moving the ball downfield with his legs, Jackson has rushed for 239 yards and another three scores on 40 attempts for an average of six yards a carry.
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Clemson at Louisville Game Betting Trends<br />
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The Tigers are 4-1 ATS in their last five games against a team with a SU winning record, but they fall to 1-5 ATS in their last six conference games. The total has gone OVER in their last five games on the road.
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The Cardinals have failed to cover in four of their last five home games and they are 0-4 ATS in their last four games against a team with a SU winning record. The total has gone OVER in nine of their last 12 ACC games.
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Head-to-head in this conference tilt, Clemson has won the last three meetings SU including last year’s 42-36 victory at home as a one-point underdog. The total went OVER the 64-point line in that game.
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Clemson Tigers at Louisville Cardinals Week 3 Prediction

The matchup all comes down to Clemson’s ability to contain Lamar Jackson. The Tigers are still going to need some production from their offense, but the spotlight in this ACC showdown will be shining the brightest on a defense that has only allowed nine points in two games. Even if Jackson does go off on Saturday night, I still like Clemson’s chances to win this game by more than the current three-point spread as one of the true college football powers this season.

Free Pick: Take Clemson -3
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