The joint favorite to win the College Football National Championship on DraftKings is also the biggest favorite to win the opening game.
The Texas Longhorns are 12-point favorites at home against the Clemson Tigers, and the upset of coach Steve Sarkisian's team proves to be nothing short of shocking.
Clemson enters Saturday tied for last in yards per play among all teams remaining in the College Football Playoff.
Whether they can overcome it against the nation's best defenses is another matter entirely.
Tigers quarterback Cade Klubnik is the perfect fit for the job.
Clemson vs. Texas odds
| team | spread | money line | total |
|---|---|---|---|
| Clemson | +12 (-105) | +350 | 51.5 or higher (-105) |
| texas | -12 (-115) | -450 | Less than 51.5 (-115) |
Clemson vs. Texas predictions
Saturday, December 21st, 4pm ET (TNT)
Despite having a lot of talent on both teams, there are no significant transfers or opt-outs heading into this game.
Texas will be without depth wide receivers Tony Stellato and Noble Johnson, and Clemson will be without depth defensive lineman Tony Savea.
The absence of these players should not have a major impact on the game.
As for the actual game, Clemson is lucky to be in this position. They are widely considered a team that shouldn't have even made the playoffs, but earned their spot by winning the ACC.
(Imagine the fireworks if Alabama had played in this game…I digress.)
Texas starting quarterback Quinn Ewers has struggled mightily recently, and star backup Arch Manning may have more work to do.
Ewers struggled with the ball, had a bad sack, and didn't play well last year in the semifinals against Washington when he was a heavy favorite.
This season, with his draft stock depleted, he threw interceptions in nine of 13 games.
Do you want to bet on college football?
If things get even worse for Ewers, believe Manning could get additional work as a runner and passer.
We're betting Manning will score a rushing touchdown in this game. He has four goals in nine games this year, and there's every reason to suspect he'll get more playing time on Saturday.
Clemson likely has it close in this story.
Texas State has only won one of its last four opponents by more than 10 points, and that was a brutal Kentucky team that went 4-7.
Pick: Clemson +12 (-105, Fanatics) | Arch Manning scores a touchdown (+210, DraftKings) 2+ (+1300, ESPN BET)
Why trust New York Post Betting?
Erich Richter is a blue belt in Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu but has a black belt in mixed martial arts gambling. During football season, he proved to be a huge moneymaker for the Post in the player prop market the past two seasons. Always betting on the long shot, the return on investment from 2022 onwards is 30.15%.
