Clemson Football: Game 1 Betting odds, picks, prediction

Hang on folks, Clemson football is almost here for 2022 as the Tigers take on the Georgia Tech Yellow Jackets to cap a wild week 1 in college football.

There will likely be less drama in this one, but even as I type that, nightmares from last years game between these two teams come flooding back.

The Yellow Jackets were inches from upsetting the Tigers and ending the longest home winning streak in the nation, but Clemson found a way to hang on for a 14-8 win.

This game is in a reduced capacity Mercedes-Benz Stadium which saw Georgia decapitate Oregon on Saturday.

There’s been some movement on this line, with most of it in Clemson’s favor as the odds makers continue to try and get some action on Georgia Tech.

Right now at WynnBet the Tigers are listed as 23.0 point favorites, with an over/under of 51.0 and a money line of -2500 on the Tigers.

That -2500 implies a 96.15 win probability for Clemson and would return $4 on a $100 bet.

This could be Geoff Collins farewell tour, as many are predicting a rough season for the Yellow Jackets and given their 9-25 record over three seasons under Collins, it’s not totally unreasonable, though there always seem to be financial considerations around Tech moving on.

As for the Tigers, there’s little question about the outcome of the game, but there’s plenty of intrigue about how the offense, specifically D.J. Uiagalelei, will fare as they try and put the nightmarish offensive performance of 2021 in the rearview mirror.

The RubbingtheRock.com staff was split on whether the Tigers will cover the spread, but they all took the Tigers to win by an average score of 32-8, which would just cover the spread.

Almost everyone is on Clemson football to cover, which should give you pause, especially when the offense has yet to prove they can cover such a large number.

Most of the betting money is on the Tigers, too, with 81% of the bets and 87% of the money coming in on the Tigers to cover.  Similarly, 77% of the bets and 53% of the money are on the over and the Money Line shows 85% of the money and 93% of the bets are on the Tigers.

In short – almost everyone is on the Tigers, which should give you pause, especially when the offense has yet to prove they can cover such a large number.

On the other hand, how does Georgia Tech score, outside of a special teams, defensive touchdown or multiple Clemson turnovers?

In the end, it’s difficult to give 23 points until the Clemson offense proves it’s a different group than last year.

It’s uncomfortable and you could be biting your nails at the end, but Georgia Tech and the points is the play here, but for me the real play would be the under 51.0 total.