Clemson at Georgia Tech Odds

Written by Jack Jones

The fifth-ranked Clemson Tigers look to remain unbeaten Saturday when they travel to face the reeling Georgia Tech Yellow Jackets. Clemson has been one of the biggest surprises in the land this season, and they are in position to seriously contend for a national title. Beating Georgia Tech has not been easy for this program, as the Yellow Jackets have won four of the last five meetings. However, the Tigers were victorious in Death Valley by a final of 27-13 last season. Andre Ellington rushed for 166 yards and two touchdowns in the win.

Taking a look at the odds in Las Vegas, I find a line of Clemson -3.5 over Georgia Tech and a total set of 63.5 points.

Clemson

Offensive coordinator Chad Morris has watched his Tigers’ offense explode over the past two weeks. Clemson (8-0, 5-0 ACC) has racked up 115 points and 1,026 total yards in their wins over Maryland and North Carolina. They even scored five touchdowns in the third quarter alone in a 59-38 triumph over the Tar Heels last week. Tajh Boyd threw for 367 yards and matched a school record with five touchdown passes to continue his remarkable start to the season.

Morris says he has only put in 70 percent of his playbook, and plans to keep adding more as the season progresses. He has installed a new up-tempo style of offense at Clemson, and it’s clearly working. The Tigers are executing to perfection as they lead the country with 626 snaps. They rank 15th in the FBS in total offense (482.5 yards/game) and 12th in scoring offense (40.6 points/game). Their offensive explosiveness has made up for a stop unit that ranks 60th in the land in total defense (378.0 yards/game).

Boyd has certainly cemented himself as one of the leading Heisman Trophy candidates with his efforts thus far. The sophomore is completing 61.9 percent of his passes for 2,379 yards and 24 touchdowns to three interceptions. Ellington has been a beast on the ground, rushing for 745 yards and seven scores while averaging 5.1/carry. Sammy Watkins is easily the top freshman wide receiver in the country. He already has 54 receptions for 819 yards and nine touchdowns.

Georgia Tech

The Yellow Jackets opened the season with six straight victories, but they have taken a step back the last few weeks to fall out of the Top 25. Georgia Tech (6-2, 3-2 ACC) has suffered back-to-back road losses to Virginia and Miami. They came into the Miami game averaging 517 yards of offense, but were held to a season-low 211 in a 24-7 setback. Georgia Tech committed three turnovers in the loss and wasted a solid defensive effort. They limited Miami to just 262 total yards.

Even after scoring a total of just 28 points while averaging 253 yards of offense over the last two weeks, the Yellow Jackets still rank 17th in the country in total offense (478.5 yards/game) and 17th in scoring (38.4 points/game). They also have one of the better defenses that Clemson has faced this season. Georgia Tech ranks 33rd in the land in total defense (341.0 yards/game), including 8th against the pass (170.5 yards/game). They own the 47th-best scoring defense (24.1 points/game) as well.

Georgia Tech’s triple-option attack is hitting on all cylinders again in 2011. Head coach Paul Johnson’s group ranks 5th in the FBS in rushing (321.1 yards/game). Orwin Smith (516 yards, 12.3/carry, eight TD), David Sims (496 yards, 5.7/carry, three TD) and Tevin Washington (460 yards, 3.3/carry, nine TD) are the catalysts. Georgia Tech also has an improved passing attack that they have not had the luxury of in year’s past. Washington has thrown for 1,139 yards and 10 touchdowns to five interceptions while averaging a whopping 12.3 yards/attempt.

Betting Trends

The Tigers are 5-1 ATS in their last 6 meetings at Georgia Tech, the road team is 9-4 ATS in the last 13 meetings, and the underdog is 13-4 ATS in the last 17 meetings.

Clemson is a perfect 6-0 ATS in their last 6 games overall, and 7-0 ATS in their last 7 conference games.

Georgia Tech is 7-2-1 ATS in their last 10 games after scoring less than 20 points in their previous game. However, they are just 3-7 ATS in their last 10 games as a home underdog, and 4-15-2 ATS in their last 21 home games vs. a team with a winning road record.

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