The Tennessee Volunteers and the Clemson Tigers will face off in the Orange Bowl at the Hard Rock Stadium in Miami Gardens, Florida on December 30.
Both teams have had moments of brilliance and competitiveness this season, but both ultimately missed out on a playoff berth. Tennessee’s 10-2 regular season was punctuated by a thrilling 52-49 victory over Alabama in Week 7. After that, however, the Volunteers stumbled against Georgia and South Carolina, and so did their playoff hopes.
The Tigers, with an 11-2 record, are coming off an ACC division title victory over North Carolina. Like Tennessee, the Tigers stumbled to South Carolina late in the year. Clemson also suffered an earlier loss to Notre Dame. The Tigers will have a chip on their shoulder going into this game, after a long season that did not meet the 2018 national champions’ expectations.
Will the wily Volunteers upset the Tigers, or will Clemson dominate as the favored team?
Here’s everything you need from a betting perspective on the game between Tennessee and Clemson, from the point spread, moneyline, total Over/Under and expert pick (odds via FOX Bet).
Read RJ Young’s full list of 2022-23 bowl game predictions and odds
No. 6 Tennessee vs. No. 7 Clemson (8 p.m. ET Friday, Dec. 30, ESPN)
Point spread: Clemson -5.5 (Clemson favored to win by more than 5.5 points, otherwise Tennessee covers)
Moneyline: Clemson -213 favorite to win (bet $10 to win $14.69 total); Tennessee +160 underdog to win (bet $10 to win $26 total)
Total scoring Over/Under: 63.5 points scored by both teams combined
Pick via Gambling Analyst Sam Panayotovich:
I think the Vols are in trouble this Friday.
Three of Tennessee’s key offensive weapons will not lace up their cleats against Clemson’s stingy defense. Star quarterback Hendon Hooker tore his ACL against South Carolina, and receivers Jalin Hyatt and Cedric Tillman are both off to the NFL Draft.
Replacing 55 total touchdowns will not be a walk in the park, and you also must consider that offensive coordinator Alex Golesh bolted to take the head coaching job at South Florida. There are too many moving parts and question marks for a once-elite Tennessee offense.
Clemson’s offense is way more versatile with five-star freshman quarterback Cade Klubnik running the show. DJ Uiagalelei entered the transfer portal and likely took his inaccuracy and questionable decisions with him.
And while the Tigers lost a pair of defensive linemen to the NFL Draft, Clemson is the one program that can drop blue chippers in the trenches and not skip a beat. I’ll happily lay the points with Dabo Swinney & Co. in a big game.
PICK: Clemson (-5.5 at FOX Bet) to win by more than 5.5 points
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