Florida Atlantic vs Clemson Preview: Perennial Powerhouse Losing its Shine

Clemson's ACC Odds Take Hit After Inauspicious Start to Season

The Clemson Tigers will have one final tune-up before next week’s showdown with No. 3 Florida State. It’ll come Saturday (8 p.m. ET) when they host the Florida Atlantic Owls.

Clemson’s performance has been suspect at best, but the Tigers are still healthy 24.5-point favorites (-110) and -3000 on the moneyline, according to college football odds. Meanwhile, Florida Atlantic is +24.5 (-110) against the spread and +1200 on the moneyline. The projected total is 52 (-110 Over, -110 Under).

Read on as we break down both teams in our Florida Atlantic vs Clemson preview.

Owls logo Florida Atlantic Owls at Clemson Tigers Tigers logo

Day/Time:
Location: Memorial Stadium; Clemson, S.C.
Streaming: ACC Network

Who are These Tigers?

After an inauspicious start, the Clemson Tigers erupted for 49 unanswered points in the second half to defeat FCS product Charleston Southern last Saturday. Still, for the second straight week, the Tigers failed to cover the spread while leaving questions about their long-term outlook.

Following a dominant run that saw Clemson win seven ACC titles over an eight-year span, Dabo Swinney’s program suddenly looks vulnerable. The Tigers — who fell out of the AP Top 25 NCAA football rankings for the first time since 2021 –have legitimate questions about the legitimacy of several areas on their roster, including quarterback.

Is Cade Klubnik the guy to lead the Tigers back to the College Football Playoff? Klubnik’s generated a lot of hype, as evidenced by his +1400 Heisman odds in the offseason, but early returns have been mixed. After a clunker against ACC rival Duke, Klubnik needed a bounceback performance versus Charleston Southern. It took a while, but the sophomore wound up throwing for 315 yards, four touchdowns and just one interception in a 66-17 victory. Amidst his struggles, he’s seen his Heisman odds plummet to +8000.

That’s hardly a surprise. Oddsmakers have reason to be skeptical. Clemson hasn’t proven capable of beating anyone of substance in a while. Now, it could be only a matter of time. Perhaps Swinney knows the exact switch to flip to turn his program back into a perennial powerhouse. But there are no guarantees. Maybe this is simply what Clemson has become.

As it is, Florida State has overtaken Clemson as a -120 favorite to win the ACC. Clemson’s odds, by the way, have dropped from -160 to +450. And the CFP odds? The Tigers have fallen off the board after opening at +300.

FAU Squarely in AAC Mix

The Florida Athletic Owls are looking to rebound after getting shut out in the second half of their 17-10 loss to Ohio in Week 2. The Owls, who managed just 185 total yards, dropped to 1-1 overall and 0-2 against the spread.

Coming off a five-touchdown performance against FCS school Monmouth, Casey Thompson was held in check. The Nebraska transfer threw for just 180 yards and two interceptions. He was also sacked three times.

Expectations remain modest for Tom Herman’s squad. The Owls are +800 to win the American Athletic Conference, one of five schools with better than 10/1 odds. Tulane is a +220 favorite after winning last year’s Cotton Bowl, while SMU is a close second at +280.

Can the Owls, one of six new members in the AAC, overcome those odds? That’ll depend heavily on Thompson, who was one of Herman’s biggest offseason pickups. It certainly helps that Thompson has a talented backfield to support him, led by Larry McCammon, who’s averaging a whopping 7.4 yards per carry through two games.

Betting Trends

Clemson has won 19 of its last 20 NCAAF games at home but is just 1-4 against the spread in its last five contests. The Tigers have also lost five straight games ATS in September. Meanwhile, Florida Atlantic is 6-13 ATS over its last 19 games. Notably, the total has gone Over in four of the Owls’ last five games. That’s important to remember when assessing the odds in our Florida Atlantic vs Clemson preview.

Handicapping the Game

Most years, this would be a get-right game for Clemson, an opportunity to fatten up their stats and build confidence before moving on to ACC play. But not now. Not this year. These aren’t your other brother’s Tigers. Clemson doesn’t look like a national powerhouse. Not even close.

But as average as the Tigers have looked, they’re still markedly better than Florida Atlantic. Barring a surprise, they’ll beat the Owls. But they may have trouble covering the 24.5-point spread. Keep that in mind when evaluating our Florida Atlantic vs Clemson preview.

For NCAAF betting news, odds, analysis and more, visit Point Spreads Sports Magazine.


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