Clemson vs. Texas A&M Total Prediction
After beating a pair of FCS programs last week in their openers, Clemson and Texas A&M will learn more about themselves this Saturday when they meet at 7:00 p.m. ET. Will the game turn into a defensive struggle for bettors?
Game Snapshot
365 Clemson Tigers vs. 366 Texas A&M Aggies
7:00 p.m. ET, Saturday, September 8, 2018
Kyle Field, College Station, Texas
Public Betting Trends
According to oddsmakers from online sports book BetNow.eu, the Tigers are 12.5-point favorites to beat the Aggies. The total, meanwhile, sits at 54 points. As of this writing, 54% of the public betting tickets wagered on this matchup are on the Tigers.
Clemson Tigers
Clemson HC Dabo Swinney said both QB Kelly Bryant and QB Trevor Lawrence will play this week against Texas A&M. “We definitely will play both quarterbacks,” Swinney said. “There’s no doubt about that. Nothing happened [against Furman] to warrant not playing both those guys.” Bryant completed 10-of-16 passes for 127 yards and a touchdown and rushed for another score. Lawrence threw for 137 yards and three touchdowns, and the team scored on all five of his drives. We expect Bryant to eventually cede the starting gig to Lawrence, ESPN’s No. 2 overall recruit in the class of 2018. “He’s just a great talent,” Swinney said of Lawrence. “It’s easy to fall in love with his arm. That’s great, but it’s not what makes him special. What makes him special is his ability to process. He has a great Football IQ. He’s a really good preparer. For a young guy, he’s very focused. Those are things that have given him a chance to compete at this point.”
Texas A&M Aggies
Texas A&M sophomore QB Kellen Mond went 17-of-25 for 184 yards and two touchdowns in Thursday’s 59-7 win over Northwestern State. Mond, who won an intriguing QB battle against Nick Starkel this offseason, showed well the opener. Behind Trayveon Williams 240 rushing yards, the Aggies put up the second most total yards in school history. After adding a rushing touchdown and jumping out to a huge lead, Mond handed over the keys to Starkel. Mond will start next week against Clemson, one of the best defenses in the country, but if Mond struggles — which is to be expected — Starkel could get some looks.
Betting Trends
Clemson
The under is 4-0 in the Tigers’ last four games overall.
Texas A&M
The over is 4-0 in the Aggies’ last four home games and 5-1 in their last six games overall.
Prediction
Clemson left its quarterback question unanswered in its 48-7 pounding of Furman last week, as both Kelly Bryant and freshman Trevor Lawrence split time. Bryant played the first quarter, Lawrence the second and they each go two drives to start the second half. While it looked pretty against Furman, this weekend will be a different animal. I envision Clemson being forced more to rely on its stout defense, which features NFL-caliber along its front four. I just don’t expect that continuity to be there for the Tigers if they continue to rotate those two quarterbacks. And while Jimbo Fisher will have the Aggies’ offense running in no time, A&M could really struggle to move the ball against Clemson’s outstanding defense.
College Football Prediction: Clemson/Texas A&M under 54