ACC Championship Game Prediction
College football’s biggest clash this weekend will arguably take place in Charlotte, NC on Saturday when No. 3 Clemson takes on No. 2 Notre Dame in the ACC Championship Game at 4:00 p.m. ET. Now that Trevor Lawrence is back under center, will the Tigers prevail versus the Irish this time around?
Game Snapshot
235 Clemson Tigers (-10) vs. 236 Notre Dame Fighting Irish (+10); o/u 60
Bank of America Stadium, Charlotte, NC
4:00 p.m. ET, Saturday, December 19, 2020
TV: ABC
Clemson Tigers Game Notes
Clemson sophomore WR Joe Ngata (undisclosed) is unlikely to play against Notre Dame on Saturday. Ngata (6’4/215) underwent surgery back in late November that caused him to miss the remainder of the regular season. HC Dabo Swinney hoped he would be recovered in time for the ACC Championship game this weekend, but that appears to be an improbability at this juncture. A former four-star recruit, Ngata had been slowed by an abdominal injury suffered in Clemson’s 37-13 season opening victory before returning to the field in a limited fashion in November, only to be re-injured shortly thereafter. He will hope to be ready to play in Clemson’s upcoming bowl appearance.
Notre Dame Fighting Irish Game Notes
Notre Dame redshirt senior QB Ian Book accepted an invitation to the Reese’s Senior Bowl. Book (6’0/212), the winningest quarterback in Notre Dame history, is in the midst of a solid senior season. Heading into Saturday’s ACC Championship Game vs. Clemson, the redshirt senior has completed 63.3 percent of his passes and thrown for 2,383 yards and 15 touchdowns with just two interceptions. Book has also been a threat in the run game, as he has racked up another 465 yards and eight touchdowns on 91 carries. He projects to be a Day 3/UDFA prospect this spring, but Book will have the opportunity to improve his standing with NFL scouts/decision-makers in Mobile
Clemson vs. Notre Dame Betting Prediction
The Fighting Irish are 6-0 against the spread in their last six games when facing an opponent with a winning record and are 5-1 against the number in their last six neutral site games. Notre Dame is also 9-3 against the spread in its last 12 games after accumulating more than 450 total yards in its previous game and is a perfect 4-0 at the betting window in its last four games after accumulating more than 200 yards rushing in its previous contest. Finally, the Irish are 19-9 against the spread in their last 28 games following a bye week and have covered the number in 10 of their last 14 games coming off a win.
COLLEGE FOOTBALL WEEK 16 BETTING PREDICTION: NOTRE DAME FIGHTING IRISH +10