The Clemson Tigers and Pittsburgh Panthers looked destined for a clash to decide a potential ACC Championship contender. Instead, each team lost in a blowout in Week 9. It would take some crazy results, but both teams are still technically alive in the ACC race.
While Pittsburgh would have had a decent shot with a win against the Tigers heading into last weekend, the Panthers threw away their chance with a loss to Virginia. Can the Panthers get back in the win column? Find out which way we lean in this Clemson vs. Pittsburgh prediction.
Clemson vs. Pittsburgh Betting Preview
All Clemson vs. Pittsburgh odds are from DraftKings Sportsbook and are correct as of Sunday, Nov. 10, 2024. The CFN Spread comes from College Football Network’s Football Playoff Meter.
- CFN FPM Spread
Clemson -6 - Spread
Clemson -10 - Moneyline
Clemson -325, Pittsburgh +260 - Over/Under
55.5 points - Game Time
Nov. 16, Noon ET - Location
Acrisure Stadium | Pittsburgh, Penn. - Predicted Weather at Kick
55 degrees, partly cloudy, 6 mph winds - How To Watch
ESPN
Pittsburgh and Clemson have both beat up on poor competition, winning just three combined games over teams with winning records. That’s typically okay, but these teams have also lost four games to teams with winning records. One team will buck that trend this season.
MORE: Simulate the College Football Season with CFN’s College Football Playoff Predictor
With a total of 55.5 points and a spread of 10 points, Vegas implies a final score close to 33-23 in favor of the Tigers.
Clemson’s Winning Probability
Per CFN’s Football Playoff Meter, the Tigers are favored in their final three games, though the games against Pittsburgh and South Carolina are expected to be closer. Clemson has a 65.7% chance to win Saturday per FPM.
- at Pittsburgh: 65.7%
- vs. The Citadel: 99.9%
- vs. South Carolina: 65.1%
Pittsburgh’s Winning Probability
Conversely, Pittsburgh has a 34.3% chance of beating the Tigers at home. The Panthers have a back-loaded schedule, meaning this year could slip away from them if they’re not careful.
- vs. Clemson: 34.3%
- at Louisville: 31.2%
- at Boston College: 51.8%
Prediction for Clemson vs. Pittsburgh
The recent struggles of these teams has made this a more intriguing matchup. It was always the old Pittsburgh teams that gave Clemson’s dyansty issues in the ACC, even in years during which the Panthers weren’t very good.
I think we have an idea that both of these teams could be pretenders on a national scale. They beat up on the ACC bottom-dwellers on the schedule, but as the schedule has gotten more difficult, they’ve both struggled.
Even Clemson’s 24-14 win over 5-5 Virginia Tech is a bit misleading, as the Tigers were shut out in the first half before figuring things out after the break.
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But what happens when they play each other?
Louisville and SMU showed that Clemson and Pittsburgh, respectively, can be susceptible to sustained ground attacks.
Can either offense stay enough ahead of the chains to be stubborn in the running game? Pittsburgh’s Desmond Reid has been quiet in recent weeks, and while Phil Mafah’s raw numbers have been decent in recent weeks, better defenses are stacking the box to force the Tigers to throw.
Clemson goes as Cade Klubnik goes — he’s a solid contributor who can’t be the offense’s best player and needs playmakers around him.
Saturday, I think Garrett Riley and the offensive staff get freshmen T.J. Moore and Bryant Wesco Jr. more involved in the passing game. The Tigers might start slow again, but I think the Pittsburgh offense will have trouble against this Clemson front.
Unfortunately for me as a bettor, I think the 10 points at which Vegas has set the spread is about right. I’d probably hold off on betting this spread this week, unless it moves down a bit, as I think the Tigers win this one by about 10-13 points.
However, I don’t think they’ll find a ton of early offensive success and another low-scoring affair could be in the cards. Take the under and leave the spread alone for now.
Prediction: Clemson 27, Pittsburgh 16
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