The Citadel (5-6, 3-5 SOCON) take on Clemson (8-2, 7-1 ACC) in non-conference action on Saturday, November 23rd. The game kicks off at 3:30 PM ET and can be seen live on The CW Network.
Clemson is a 49.5-point favorite on the spread with a 58.5-point over/under.
Read on for my The Citadel vs Clemson predictions and college football picks for their NCAAF Week 13 game.
The Citadel vs Clemson Prediction
- The Citadel vs. Clemson Pick: Clemson 1H -34.5 or better
My The Citadel vs. Clemson best bet is on the Tigers in the first half, with the best line currently available at FanDuel, according to our live NCAAF odds page.
The Citadel vs Clemson Odds
| The Citadel Odds | ||
|---|---|---|
| Spread | Total | Moneyline |
+49.5 -105 | 58.5 -110o / -110u | |
| Clemson Odds | ||
|---|---|---|
| Spread | Total | Moneyline |
-49.5 -115 | 58.5 -110o / -110u | |
- The Citadel vs Clemson Point Spread: The Citadel +49.5 (-105) · Clemson -49.5 (-115)
- The Citadel vs Clemson Total: Over/Under 58.5
The Citadel vs Clemson Preview
The Citadel Bulldogs Betting Preview
The Citadel comes in off a 30-17-win last week, ending their SOCON schedule on a high note in an otherwise up-and-down year.
The Bulldogs have won three of four games following a four-game conference losing streak, and improvement has been seen in year two under Maurice Drayton.
Citadel is run-heavy and keeps the ball on the ground on 65% of their offensive snaps.
The defense has performed well against their level of competition, as the Bulldogs are allowing just 337 yards per game and just 3.8 yards per carry on the ground.
There is no way to accurately quantify the metrics defensively as this team has not played an opponent even remotely as talented or explosive as Clemson and, therefore, should struggle mightily to compete.
Clemson Tigers Betting Preview
Clemson comes in off of back-to-back squeakers on the road as they have defeated Virginia Tech and Pittsburgh in the past two weeks.
Clemson is not expected to threaten for an at-large bid to the college football playoff. The Tigers need help securing a berth in the ACC Championship game. Their conference schedule is finished, and they'll battle South Carolina next week during rivalry week.
I suspect they'll have no issues handling The Citadel on Saturday.
The Citadel vs Clemson Pick & Prediction
South Carolina is playing better than expected, so next week's game should be tough for Clemson, and I assume the Tigers are beginning to prep this week.
I suspect Clemson will build a lead in this game early, especially given the Tigers should overwhelm the Bulldogs' offensive line — Clemson has held five of their past six opponents under 100 yards rushing.
The Citadel quarterback, Jonathan Bennett, has completed only 53% of his passes with eight touchdowns to seven interceptions. He's also the team's leading rusher. Given there's only so much punishment a man can take, I expect the Bulldogs to hand the ball off early and often on Saturday.
The Bulldogs are only converting 36% of their third-down attempts this season, and their kicking game has been unreliable. There aren't many paths to points for the Bulldogs.
Meanwhile, Clemson shouldn't have many issues against the Citadel's front seven. The Bulldogs sport an undersized, quicker defensive line that will likely get bullied by a Tigers rush attack that's surpassed the 200-yard mark in five separate games this season.
Ultimately, finding value in the game from a spread or total perspective is tough. I'd look toward Clemson in the first half at -34.5 or better.
The Tigers should score at will. Meanwhile, the defense should suffocate The Citadel, resulting in quick possessions and punts.
If the score gets out of hand, I'd look to play a second half under around 21.5.
The Citadel will continue to have little offensive success while operating slowly and running the ball. Clemson would probably run the ball and try to get out of the game without any injuries.
Pick: Clemson 1H -34.5 or better | 2H Under
The Citadel vs Clemson Start Time, Channel, Streaming, How To Watch
| Location: | Memorial Stadium, Clemson, SC |
| Date: | Saturday, Nov. 23 |
| Kickoff Time: | 3:30 p.m. ET |
| TV / Streaming: | The CW |
The Citadel vs. Clemson will be played at Memorial Stadium in Clemson, South Carolina, on Saturday, Nov. 23, at 3:30 p.m. ET. The game can be streamed live on The CW.
