Miami Hurricanes vs. Clemson Tigers Betting Picks

The 3-0 Miami Hurricanes will go on the road Saturday night to face off with the 3-0 Clemson Tigers at 7:30 PM ET in Memorial Stadium. This is going to be a phenomenal battle and you can tune in on ABC. The Tigers are 14-point home favorites and we’re expecting a relatively high-scoring game with a 62.5 over/under. If Miami is able to upset the Tigers, it jumbles the entire CFB scene. Let’s dive into who will win this game and cover the spread.

The Hurricanes have been nothing short of miraculous three games into the season. The defense has been superb and the well-balanced spread attack is keeping opposing teams on their heels. After beating Louisville, the Hurricanes slaughtered FSU 52-10. D’Eriq King has thrown for 766 yards and six touchdowns without throwing an INT. He’s run for another 157 and a score. He’s going to have to be near-perfect against Clemson if he wants to give Miami a shot. This Tigers defense is ferocious and they’ll be on the hunt from start to finish. 

RB Cam’Ron Harris is the workhorse of this offense and he’s run for 311 yards and five touchdowns. Expect him to see an even higher workload this weekend. Donald Chaney Jr. and Jaylon Knighton are excellent spell backs and they’ve each found the end zone already. Against Clemson, expect King and Harris to see a lot of work on the ground. 

When King does drop back, expect him to stay locked in to Brevin Jordan. The superstar TE has 15 balls for 212 yards and three touchdowns thus far. He’s the best weapon on offense and King will pepper him with targets in crucial spots. Mark Pope and Mike Harley round out a relatively concentrated WR core and are the only other receivers over five catches. With that being said, Dee Wiggins and Will Mallory are massive red zone threats that I can see Miami using here as Clemson will have their focus elsewhere. 

Defensively, Miami has to find a way to consistently slow this offense down for four quarters. They don’t have to shut them out, but Miami isn’t scoring over 30 points against the Tigers defense, so they can’t give up a ton. Amari Carter and Bubba Bolden have been two of the best safeties in the country, but too many plays are reaching them. Zach McCloud runs the defense and he’ll need to call a better game than Lawrence if the Canes want any shot to pull off an upset.

Ho-hum goes to the Clemson Tigers as the class of College Football. This offensive unit with Trevor Lawrence and Travis Ettiene entering their third season is just stupid good. Over half of the starters are going to be starting at the next level and the two big dogs are crafty veterans. Four of the five offensive lineman are returning starters and they will push Miami around in the trenches. 

If Clemson is missing anyone, it’s Tee Higgins and Justyn Ross. Higgins is off to the pros while Ross underwent a congenital spine fusion that will hold him out until 2021. Amari Rodgers and Frank Ladson have stepped up through three games, but neither has given off dominant vibes. Freshman E.J. Williams does have that potential and he’s been involved in a limited capacity.

There isn’t much else to say about this Clemson team. They’re the closest thing to an NFL team you’ll find in CFB. They don’t make many mistakes and they certainly don’t beat themselves. If you want to beat Clemson, you have to find a way to put pressure on Lawrence. Miami can do exactly that, so look for Ettiene to stick around and help the line when Lawrence drops back.

Defensively, Clemson won’t let King breathe. He’s faced three average defenses to this point and this will be a wake-up call. With that being said, King alone is as talented as anyone on the field and he will do damage if the Tigers don’t give him the respect he deserves. This is a man that scored 50 TD’s in one season for Houston. 

Miami is going to keep this game extremely interesting and the win will be flirted with. I think the Tigers find a way to pull it out in the end, but don’t be surprised if the Hurricanes pull this one out. The Clemson Tigers haven’t looked as good through the air as they have in past years and it’s going to come around to bite them.

Miami has been smooth on both sides of the ball and coach Manny Diaz has this team on fire. They’re also not flukey like they were two seasons ago. This is an all-around dominant football team and they have the ability to stack with Clemson on both sides. In all honesty, I’d rather have the Miami LB’s if I’m starting a defense. They are all over the field and ignite the guys in front and behind them. That’s what great LB’s do. 

The Hurricanes have looked phenomenal offensively and D’Eriq King has continued right where he left off. He’s one of the best players in college football and he now has elite weapons at his disposal. It sounds crazy, but look for the Hurricanes to give Clemson a very good game here. Make sure you tune in as I personally promise this will be an amazing game to watch.

I’m expecting the Hurricanes to have a lot more success on offense than expected, but not Clemson. I think they stumble a bit to start the game before figuring things out a bit later. Both of these teams have phenomenal defenses and neither offense plays very fast. Miami does speed it up on occasion, but I expect them to slow it down a bit in this matchup in an attempt to take care of the ball and make smart decisions. It’s going to be extremely close, but I lean the under as Miami makes a few unexpected stands.