'Death Valley' Mystique is Gone: Clemson Clings to 1.5-Point Favoritism in Rivalry Showdown
The lights will be on in Memorial Stadium tonight, but this isn't the high-stakes, ACC-dominating rivalry of old. This is a battle for survival.
The 3-5 Clemson Tigers, mired in their worst season in recent history, are desperately trying to salvage their bowl hopes. They host a 4-4 Florida State Seminoles team that has also been plagued by inconsistency.
Oddsmakers are treating this as a virtual pick 'em, installing the Tigers as a razor-thin 1.5-point favorite, according to FanDuel Sportsbook.
That line tells the whole story. Clemson, a program that has won eight of the last nine meetings in this rivalry, has completely lost its aura of invincibility. The Tigers are still searching for their first home win over a Power Four opponent since October 2024—a humiliating, year-long streak of failure in a stadium once nicknamed Death Valley.
Neither team comes in with much momentum for bettors. Clemson has covered the spread in only two of its last six games, while the Seminoles have lost three of their last four on the road.
The betting total is set at a high 56.5 points, signaling that oddsmakers expect both defenses to struggle and both offenses to trade punches.
For Dabo Swinney, this is a desperate attempt to stop the bleeding and avoid further historic collapse. For Florida State, it's a chance to finally get a rivalry win and secure a path to a winning season. Something has to give.
Game Day Betting Lines (via FanDuel):
- Spread: Clemson -1.5
- Moneyline: Clemson -120 / Florida State +102
- Total: 56.5
Predictions
Zach Lentz: Florida State is just as desperate and, crucially, they won here in 2023. They won't be intimidated by the setting. Expect this game to be close, but Clemson's fatal flaw will, once again, be the difference. The Tigers will move the ball, but a back-breaking fourth-quarter turnover will seal their fate. The home skid hits an unthinkable four games, and Clemson's bowl hopes will be all but extinguished.
Final score: Florida State 27, Clemson 23
Brad Senkiw: Not having a home win over a P4 team at this point in the season doesn’t seem real, but when you look back at how those games played out, Clemson deserves all of those Ls. And it’s going to cost them a bowl game. This feels like a bad time to be catching a rested, hungry FSU. Clemson still won’t put together a complete effort, and the home agony will continue for Swinney.
Final score: Florida State 37, Clemson 34