d-j-uiagalelei-clemson-cbs.jpg
USATSI

The sixth-ranked Clemson Tigers are looking to get into a groove against a familiar opponent Saturday when they host the Georgia Tech Yellow Jackets in an ACC matchup. The Tigers (1-1) have won six in a row against the Yellow Jackets (1-1) and beat them 73-7 in Atlanta last season. The core of that Clemson offense is gone, but the Tigers started gaining their rhythm last week in a 49-3 win against FCS South Carolina State. That came after a 10-3 loss in a slugfest with Georgia in their opener. Georgia Tech also lost its opener, a surprise 22-21 setback to Northern Illinois, but bounced back with a 45-17 rout of FCS Kennesaw State last week.

Kickoff is set for 3:30 p.m. ET in Clemson, S.C. Caesars Sportsbook lists the Tigers as the 27.5-point favorite in its latest Georgia Tech vs. Clemson odds, and the over-under for total points scored is 52.5. Before you finalize your Clemson vs. Georgia Tech picks or predictions, you'll want to see what the SportsLine Projection Model is saying.

The SportsLine Projection Model simulates every FBS college football game 10,000 times. Over the past five-plus years, the proprietary computer model has generated a stunning profit of over $3,500 for $100 players on its top-rated college football picks against the spread. It also enters Week 3 of the 2021 season on a 67-50 run on all top-rated college football picks. Anyone who has followed it has seen huge returns.

Now, the model has locked in on Georgia Tech vs. Clemson and just revealed its picks and predictions. You can head to SportsLine now to see the model's picks. Here are several college football odds and betting lines for Clemson vs. Georgia Tech:  

  • Georgia Tech vs. Clemson: Tigers -27.5
  • Georgia Tech vs. Clemson over-under: 52.5 points 
  • Georgia Tech vs. Clemson moneyline: Yellow Jackets +1600, Tigers -7000 
  • GT: The Yellow Jackets are 3-10 ATS in their last 13 September games 
  • CLEM: The favorite is 5-0-1 ATS in the last six meetings between the teams

Why the Tigers can cover

The 73 points last year tied the most points all-time in the series, matching a 73-0 Tigers victory in 1903. The offense this year might not be as potent, but it has plenty of talent. Quarterback D.J. Uiagalelei was expected to be a Heisman candidate right off the bat but is off to a slow start. However, he threw for 871 yards and five TDs in two starts in place of No.1 overall NFL draft pick Trevor Lawrence last season. He has top receiving options in Justyn Ross and Joseph Ngata, who had a combined 103 yards on six catches last week as the Tigers put up 504 yards.

Running backs Will Shipley, Kobe Pace and Lyn-J Dixon can do a lot of damage. Clemson rushed for 242 yards against S.C. State, led by Shipley's 80 yards and two TDs on eight carries. Georgia Tech is giving up 163 per game on the ground in 2021. The Tigers defense has allowed 256 total yards and 235 in its first two games, and it hasn't allowed a touchdown, with Georgia's coming on a pick-six. The Tigers are 22-8 against the spread in their last 30 ACC games, while Georgia Tech is 0-5-1 ATS in its last six against Clemson and 8-19 ATS in its last 27 overall. 

Why the Yellow Jackets can cover

Georgia Tech has the defense to make this a game, with the heart of the Clemson offense having moved on. The Yellow Jackets defense has been stout up front, and it has been getting off the field on third down. It has allowed conversions on just eight of 27-third-down attempts, while the Georgia Tech offense is 15-for-29 on third down. Jordan Domineck and T.K. Chimedza each had a sack last week as Georgia Tech held Kennesaw State to 111 passing yards and forced three turnovers. Domineck had three tackles for loss and recovered two fumbles.

Uiagalelei has been sacked seven times and has thrown two interceptions, so the Jackets could rattle him. One pick was returned for a TD against Georgia, and the other was part of a three-turnover day against S.C. State. Georgia Tech is 50-33-2 all-time against Clemson, and it should focus on running the ball. Jahmyr Gibbs averaged 138.3 all-purpose yards last season and is averaging 5.3 yards as the Tigers are at 214.5 yards per game on the ground through two games. Jordan Yates started over Jeff Sims last week and threw for 254 yards and four TDs. 

How to make Georgia Tech vs. Clemson picks

The model has simulated Clemson vs. Georgia Tech 10,000 times, and the results are in. The model is projecting 46 total points, suggesting yards on the ground will be hard to come by. It also says one side hits in over 50 percent of simulations. You can only get the model's Clemson vs. Georgia Tech pick at SportsLine

So who wins the Georgia Tech vs. Clemson matchup on Saturday? And which side of the spread hits in over 50 percent of simulations? Visit SportsLine right now to see which side of the Clemson vs. Georgia Tech spread to back Saturday, all from the advanced model on a 67-50 run on its top-rated college football picks, and find out.