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Dabo Swinney somehow convinced his team nobody respects little ol’ Clemson despite having a program that could be considered a dynasty at this point. But here, it actually makes sense as the Clemson Tigers comes in as the underdog for the first time all season. Clemson took advantage of a weak ACC schedule and took down Ohio State in a thrilling semifinal game.
On the other side, it’s been an absolute dream season for the LSU Tigers. The offense received a much-needed makeover, and quarterback Joe Burrow is the beneficiary of it all, taking home the Heisman Trophy. LSU was tested by a tough SEC schedule and squeaked out a few close victories but finished the year unbeaten. LSU is coming off an absolutely dominant performance against Oklahoma in the semifinal.
Each team comes in at 14-0, and both Tigers have done very well against the spread in 2019. Clemson is 11-3 against the number, while LSU comes in at 9-3-2.
Game Time/TV Channel/Streaming
The College Football Playoff National Championship will begin at 8:00 p.m. ET in New Orleans, Louisiana on Monday, Jan. 13 and can be seen on ESPN and via live online stream at WatchESPN.
Point Spread, Totals, Odds, Trends
Spread: LSU (-5.5) vs. Clemson
Point Total: 69.5 O/U (-110)
Money line: LSU (-200), Clemson (+163)
- Clemson has covered the spread in each of its last five games.
- LSU is 11-3-2 against the spread in its last 16 games.
- The total went over in 12 of LSU’s last 17 games.
The Best Bet
Let’s go bold for the national championship pick. Clemson will win this game. It sounds crazy given what we’ve seen from LSU this season, but it shouldn’t be. Clemson comes in as defending champs, winners of 29 games in a row and won 11 of 14 games this year by 31 points or more. Nothing about that suggests Clemson should be nearly a touchdown underdog. LSU is a fun, new story but college football fans are sleeping on the constant powerhouse that is Clemson. Take the points and maybe put a little somethin’ on the money line. Also take the over. Lots and lots of points will be scored as both teams could reach 40 by the time this one’s all done.
Picks: Clemson +5.5, Over 69.5
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