The 22nd-ranked Clemson Tigers should feel right at home Friday when they face the Kentucky Wildcats in the 2023 Gator Bowl at EverBank Stadium. The Tigers (8-4) are playing in Jacksonville, Fla. for the 10th time and are 4-5 in the Gator Bowl. They last faced the Wildcats in the 2009 Music City Bowl, a 21-13 victory that was their fourth win in the past six meetings. Clemson has won four in a row but will fall short of 10 victories for the first time since 2011. Kentucky (7-5) lost five of their final seven games but beat No. 10 Louisville 38-31 to cap the regular season.
The Gator Bowl 2023 is set to kick off Friday at noon ET. The Tigers are 3.5-point favorites in the latest Clemson vs. Kentucky odds from the SportsLine consensus, and the over/under for total points scored is 44. Before making any Kentucky vs. Clemson picks, be sure to see the college football predictions and betting advice from SportsLine's proven computer model.
The SportsLine Projection Model simulates every FBS college football game 10,000 times. Since its inception, it has generated a strong profit of well over $2,000 for $100 players on its top-rated college football picks against the spread. The model entered bowl season a profitable 13-9 on top-rated spread picks. Anyone who has followed it has seen huge returns.
Now, the model has set its sights on Clemson vs. Kentucky and just revealed its picks and predictions. You can visit SportsLine now to see the model's picks. Here are several college football odds and betting lines for Kentucky vs. Clemson:
- Clemson vs. Kentucky spread: Tigers -3.5
- Clemson vs. Kentucky over/under: 44 points
- Clemson vs. Kentucky money line: Tigers -170, Wildcats +143
- CLEM: Is 12-12 ATS as a favorite the past two seasons.
- UK: Is 9-4-1 ATS in its last 14 non-conference games.
- Clemson vs. Kentucky picks: See picks at SportsLine
- Clemson vs. Kentucky live stream: fubo (try for free)
Why Clemson can cover
The Tigers still have enough talent on both sides of the ball to compete with most teams. They are 6-6 against the spread, 5-1 ATS against teams at .500 or worse. Clemson has covered the spread in four straight games. Quarterback Cade Klubnik and running backs Will Shipley and Phil Mafah are a potent trio in the backfield for a unit that scores just shy of 30 points per game. Klubnik had 2,580 passing yards, 294 rushing and accounted for 23 TDs in the regular season.
Shipley and Mafah combined for 2,032 total yards and 16 touchdowns, and both averaged more than 5 yards per carry. Defensively, the Tigers rank in the top seven in FBS in total yards (278.7 per game), passing yards (162.2) and yards per play (4.5). They will force UK to throw the ball, and Kentucky quarterback Devin Leary has thrown 10 interceptions this season. Clemson has 24 takeaways (14 interceptions). The Tigers are 14-5 straight-up against SEC teams since 2015. See which team to pick here.
Why Kentucky can cover
The Wildcats are seeking an eighth victory to surpass last season's total and should feel good coming off a fifth straight victory against rival Louisville. They had three takeaways in that game, and Leary had one of his best games of the season. The senior threw for 206 yards and three touchdowns, with running back Ray Davis catching two of those and also scoring one on the ground. Davis has scored at least once in 11 of the Wildcats' 12 games.
Davis has 1,383 yards from scrimmage and 20 TDs this season, tied for third in the nation. His 3,578 career rushing yards is tied for fourth among active FBS running backs. The Wildcats defense will force the Tigers to throw, as the unit allows 3.3 yards per rush (19th in FBS). Trevin Wallace (69 tackles, 4.5 sacks), who has declared for the NFL Draft but is expected to play, and D'Eryk Jackson (81 tackles, two interceptions) are both playmakers in the middle of the defense. See which team to pick here.
How to make Clemson vs. Kentucky picks
SportsLine's model is leaning Over on the point total, projecting the teams to combine for 49 points. The model also says one side of the spread hits in nearly 60% of simulations. You can only get the model's pick at SportsLine.
So who wins Clemson vs. Kentucky in the Gator Bowl, and which side of the spread hits in nearly 60% of simulations? Visit SportsLine now to see which side of the spread you need to jump on, all from the model that's up over $2,000 on its top-rated college football picks, and find out.
