Looking to secure a berth in the College Football Playoff for the second time in three years, No. 2 Notre Dame looks to defeat fourth-ranked Clemson for the second time this season Saturday when the teams clash for the Atlantic Coast Conference title in Charlotte, N.C.
The contest is a rematch of one of the best games of 2020 in college football, a 47-40 double-overtime victory by the Fighting Irish (10-0, 9-0) at home Nov. 7. Kyren Williams rushed for 140 yards and three touchdowns while Ian Book added 310 passing yards and a score for Notre Dame, which was a 5.5-point underdog in that matchup since Clemson played without star quarterback Trevor Lawrence — who was sidelined recovering from COVID-19.
Brian Kelly’s team was No. 2 in the latest College Football Playoff rankings, and it is possible Notre Dame — a +1200 selection at FanDuel to win its first CFP title and first national title since 1988 — could lose this game and still return to the CFP for the second time since the playoff began in 2014.
Clemson (9-1, 8-1) — attempting to advance to the College Football Playoff for the sixth straight season and a +300 pick to win the title at FanDuel — has won both its games since losing to Notre Dame, with Lawrence throwing for 598 yards and three touchdowns in victories over Virginia Tech and Pittsburgh. The likely No. 1 pick should he opt to enter the 2021 NFL Draft, Lawrence has thrown for 2,431 yards and 20 TDs overall.
Additionally, he led Clemson to a 30-3 waxing of Notre Dame in the 2019 CFP semifinal with 327 yards and three TD passes.
Lines, lines, everywhere lines
With Lawrence back under center for Clemson, sportsbooks across Indiana have made what they feel are proper adjustments. The Tigers are 10.5-point favorites across the board at PointsBet, FanDuel, William Hill, and BetMGM as well as the Kambi platform providing the lines for BetRivers, DraftKings, and Unibet.
For the Irish backers, they can be grabbed as low as -105 at PointsBet, with the Kambi books offering -109, William Hill right behind at -110, FanDuel at -114, and BetMGM at -115. The moneyline also has a healthy range, with the Kambi platform offering Notre Dame at +275 and ticking up to +300 at BetMGM, +305 at PointsBet, and +310 at both FanDuel and William Hill.
The over/under has a more narrow range, with the low of 59.5 points at PointsBet and BetMGM — both offering -110 in either direction — and FanDuel (-112/-108) to 60.5 points on the Kambi platform at -110. William Hill has split the difference at 60 points at the standard -110.
The Kambi platform is offering Notre Dame’s team total at 23.5 points with a -130/+100 split. BetMGM has that split in the opposite direction at 24.5 points, while PointsBet has its standard -115 at 24.5 points.
BetMGM has additional side and over/under offerings for this game, ranging from Notre Dame getting anywhere from 7.5 to 14 points and over/unders from 53.5 to 65.5 points at various prices.
There are also some player props available for this game, with PointsBet and FanDuel offering over/unders for passing yards by Book and Lawrence. The pair have set Book’s number at 254.5 yards, with FanDuel offering -113 and PointsBet -115. Those are the same prices for Lawrence at 328.5 yards, and FanDuel also has listings for Clemson running back Travis Etienne (84.5 rushing yards) and Amari Rodgers (91.5 receiving yards) at -113.
FanDuel also has player touchdown prop plays, with Etienne a -450 pick as an anytime scorer, while his Irish counterpart Williams is -200. Rodgers is a -130 play in that category, while Notre Dame receiver Ben Skowronek is a +210 option. For the quarterbacks finding paydirt, Book is a +125 pick and Lawrence is being offered at -125.
First-half offerings
There is similar lockstep among the sportsbooks in terms of first-half offerings. All seven have Notre Dame as 6.5-point underdogs for the first two quarters. The Irish can be had at -105 at BetMGM on that number, and the Kambi platform trails at -107 while everyone else is offering -110.
The Irish are a standard moneyline selection ranging from +205 to +240, but they can also be picked at +260 on FanDuel for a 3-way moneyline including ties.
Operators are also in agreement for the over/under at 30.5 points, but the variance comes in the price. BetMGM has a +100/-125 split for the number, while FanDuel lists -105/-115. The Kambi platform has -110/-118, while William Hill has the standard -110 in both directions and PointsBet is -115 each way.
DraftKings and BetMGM are offering first-quarter spreads, with the former listing the Irish as 2.5-point underdogs at -108 and the latter offering +3 at -105. BetRivers and Unibet are offering Notre Dame at +163 on a standard moneyline and +205 on the 3-way ML.
The Kambi platform and BetMGM are also offering an over/under of 13.5 points in the opening 15 minutes at -121/-109 and -115/-110, respectively.
