No. 4 Clemson opens the 2025 season with a huge test against No. 9 LSU. Neither team will be knocked out of the College Football Playoff hunt with a loss, but neither team has impressed in their opener in quite a while, so there’s a lot on the line tonight with the ball kicks off at 7:52.
This is also one of three marquee, top-10 showdowns in Week 1. There has never been more to start the season. So the hype machine is strong with this one. Bettors have had their eyes on this matchup all summer, so here’s a wagering primer to get you ready for a battle between two Tigers inside one Death Valley.
Spread history
Clemson opened as a 2.5-point favorite when this game hit the board at sportsbooks earlier this year. Over the summer, the ACC Tigers crept up to -3.5 heading into this week. It didn’t take long before the line hit -4.
FanDuel bumped its line to -4.5 as of Saturday morning. DraftKings, BetMGM, and others were holding steady at -4.
Betting insights
Bettors at DraftKings seem to be liking Clemson the most. According to the sportsbook’s latest insights, Dabo Swinney’s squad is getting 60% of the betting handle (or money) and 57% of the bets.
This matchup is the second most-bet game at BetMGM, behind only Texas-Ohio State. On Friday, the betting splits were much more even with BetMGM reporting 54% of the tickets and 52% of the handle on Clemson. LSU +4 was also one of the sportsbook's most popular plays.
However, bettors love LSU on the moneyline. The SEC Tigers are the most-bet underdog of the week at BetMGM, and Fanatics Sportsbook has seen 62% of the outright-winner money on LSU +150.
Under 57.5 is getting more action than the over and is BetMGM’s third most-bet total this weekend.
Betting analysis
There is so much unknown in Week 1, and a lack of a preseason can make predictions incredibly difficult. What is obvious is that the game is at Clemson, which should make the ACC Tigers a popular pick for much of the day. They return Cade Klubnik at QB, have one of the most complete receiver rooms in the country, and have two future NFL stars in T.J. Parker and Peter Woods on the defensive line.
That doesn’t mean it’s a lock to pick Clemson. LSU is incredibly talented, with QB Garrett Nussmeier running the show, and few teams invested as much as this program in the transfer portal. The spread feels about right, but 4.5 is getting awfully close to what I call “no man’s land.” Very few games end up with a point differential of five. Four and six are more common.
Brian Kelly is hard to trust in this spot. He’s 0-3 straight up as LSU head coach in openers. Clemson has lost its last two as well and looked bad in both. Bottom line, these two teams appear fairly even on paper, so no one would be surprised with a Clemson win by a field goal, which would kill the favorite’s spread.
Sharps seem to be liking Clemson in this one.
College football Week 1 sharp action so far at Borgata in New Jersey, via @tgablesports:
— Ben Fawkes (@BFawkes22) August 28, 2025
Akron +9.5 (vs. Wyoming), now down to +5.5
FAU +17.5 (at Maryland), now 14.5
Clemson -3 (vs. LSU), now -4
TCU -1.5 (at UNC), now -3.5
Best bet (Season record: 0-0)
If you really want to play Clemson, the safest bet is the moneyline at -185, but that’s a lot of juice, and maybe the best play is to pair it with another favorite you feel really good about in a two-team ML parlay.
That said, my favorite play is Antonio Williams to score an anytime touchdown at +100. He caught 11 of Klubnik’s 36 scoring passes last year, including at least one in eight of Clemson’s 14 games. He’ll be a prime red zone option, and with questions at running back, I won’t be surprised to see Clemson throwing in goal-line situations. LSU is going to have a time defending Williams in the slot.