Oh man, stop me if you’ve heard this one. So this Clemson starting quarterback walks onto the field, but it’s just a regular grass field out in the middle of nowhere because he’s not allowed to play football!! I never get tired of that one.
Yes, any of us who engage in college football betting know the story: The best signal-caller in the country will be sidelined again because of COVID-19 concerns, lending even more intrigue to Saturday’s battle between the Tigers and the Notre Dame Fighting Irish.
Here’s a look at our best college football free picks and predictions for No. 1 Clemson at No. 4 Notre Dame. Kickoff is scheduled for 7:30 ET on Saturday, November 7 at Notre Dame Stadium.
Clemson Tigers at Notre Dame Fighting Irish Betting Preview
Weather
It’s going to be clear and cool on Saturday in South Bend. Look for a temperature of 52 with wind out of the south-southeast at 7 mph and a 13 percent chance of rain. Be sure to monitor the gametime conditions with our NCAA football weather info.
Key Injuries
Clemson: Kaleb Boateng OL (Questionable), David Cote LB (Questionable), Sage Ennis TE (Questionable), John Williams OL (Questionable), Bryn Tucker OL (Questionable), Mitchell Mayes OL (Questionable), Taisun Phommachanh QB (Questionable), Tre Williams DL (Questionable), Matt McMahan LB (Questionable), Ty Lucas RB (Questionable), Mike Jones Jr. LB (Questionable), Trevor Lawrence QB (Out), Jack McCAll CB (Questionable), Matthew Maloney LB (Questionable), Fred Davis II CB (Questionable)
Notre Dame: Jahmir Smith RB (Out), Braden Lenzy WR (Out), Kevin Austin Jr. WR (Out).
Find our latest NCAA football injury reports.
Betting Trend to Know
The Tigers are 11-2 ATS in their last 13 games as a road favorite. Find more NCAA betting trends for Clemson vs. Notre Dame.
Against the Spread (ATS) Pick
Alright, let’s get it out of the way one more time: Trevor Lawrence is out and D.J. Uiagalelei will start at quarterback for Clemson for the second straight week. The Tigers rallied from a first-half deficit and held on to beat Boston College34-28 last Saturday. Uiagalelei looked more comfortable as the game went on, finishing 30-41 for 342 yards and two touchdowns.
Notre Dame returns home after hitting the road for wins against Pittsburgh and Georgia Tech, most recently leaving Atlanta with a 31-13 dispatching of the Yellow Jackets. Quarterback Ian Book is efficient when he needs to be, but it’s the Irish ground game that is the heart of the Notre Dame offense, as evidenced by their 227 yards rushing and three touchdowns last weekend.
A six-point underdog that just happens to be the No. 4 team in the country is hard to pass up. However, the strength of the Clemson defense is stopping the run, and Book will be forced into making mistakes against a Tigers secondary that will be ready to pounce.
PREDICTION: Clemson -6 (-110)
Over/Under Pick
The Notre Dame defense is better than many realize, but Clemson has a slew of weapons on offense – most notably RB Travis Etienne – and Clemson won’t be caught napping like it was against Boston College. Uiagalelei was a big reason why the Tigers were able to come from behind last week, and before Lawrence returns, the freshman will give us another glimpse of why he’s considered the next great quarterback at Clemson.
PREDICTION: Over 52 (-110)
Team Total Pick
Book has racked up more than 300 yards passing only once this season, which came two weeks ago in a 45-3 beatdown of Pitt. The Tigers are going to make him throw the ball, and until Book proves he can do more than manage a game, I’m betting the Irish offense struggles to get points.
PREDICTION: Notre Dame team total Under 21.5 (-120)
Clemson vs Notre Dame Betting Card
- Clemson -6 (-110)
- Over 52 (-110)
- Notre Dame team total Under 21.5 (-120)
Did you know that if you parlayed today’s NCAA Clemson vs. Notre Dame picks, you could win $56.82 on a $10 bet?
Use our NCAA parlay calculator to create your own parlays and see their potential payouts.
Where Can I Bet on College Football?
You can bet on college football odds at every online and casino sportsbooks, including NCAA football point spreads, Over/Under totals, derivative bets and even prop plays as well. Head over to our best-suggested sportsbooks for the top spots to bet on college football odds in your area.
