NCAA football betting - Clemson Tigers favored in ACC
2008 college football betting:
- Clemson returns a dynamic backfield
- The front seven must replace key starters
- Tough schedule and high expectations loom ahead
The online sports betting community used to follow the ACC closely but the conference has grown less relevant over the the past couple of years. Typically it was a two-horse race between the Miami Hurricanes and Florida State Seminoles but both of those teams have fallen on harder times.
The title of “conference favorite” now goes to the Clemson Tigers, who sports bettors have watched underachieve seemingly forever.
The Tigers did win nine games last year but they still lost their two biggest contests: at Virginia Tech and at Boston College.
This year they return 15 starters, including their dynamic backfield of quarterback Cullen Harper and running backs James Davis and C.J. Spiller.
Harper set 21 school records as a first-time starter last year and should be the best quarterback in the ACC this season. One glaring weakness, though, is an offensive line which returns only one starter.
The Tigers defense has been solid but must deal with some key losses to its front seven. Linebackers
Nick Watkins and Tramaine Billie are gone, as is defensive end Phillip Merling (who was a second-round NFL draft pick). While the front seven has to find some replacements, the secondary is as deep as it gets in the ACC; all four starters return.
Clemson's biggest schedule is it schedule. It begins with a neutral contest against the Alabama Crimson Tide, who the Tigers are 3-12 lifetime against. They also have contests at Wake Forest, at Boston College and at Florida State, three tough road games. Finally, they close out the season at home to South Carolina, which by no means will be a cakewalk.
The Tigers must walk a tight rope in 2008 and, considering their track record of collapsing under pressure, there's no reason to expect them to handle the burden this year.
Pick: Clemson Tigers regular season win total under 9.5
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Stan Simmons first tasted football through the college game, but his football handicapping has strictly focused on the professional sport. Not many people devote as much time to the NFL as Simmons. For six days a week he works, labors and handicaps the sport, and on the seventh he rests as the games play out. Thoughts or questions?
