Clemson at Texas CFB Playoff First Round | College Football Picks, Best Bets

The first round of the College Football Playoff kicks off on Friday night with Indiana at Notre Dame, and the action continues on Saturday with a triple-header. The second game of the day features ACC Champion Clemson traveling to Austin to battle the Texas Longhorns. This will be the first-ever matchup between Texas and Clemson on the gridiron, and a trip to the Peach Bowl to play the Arizona State Sun Devils is on the line. Will Clemson be able to pull off the big upset, or will Texas shake off the disappointing loss to Georgia and take care of business at home?

We’ve got you covered with our favorite plays from Saturday’s showdown.

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Where to Watch Clemson at Texas

Location: Darrell K. Royal-Texas Memorial Stadium in Austin, Texas
Time: Saturday at 4:00 pm | Where to Watch: TNT/Max
Spread: Texas (-11.5) | Moneyline: Texas (-490)/Clemson (+365) | Total: 51.5

Clemson at Texas Best Bets ATS: Clemson (+11.5) and UNDER 51.5

The Clemson Tigers needed a miracle field goal from freshman kicker Nolan Hauser to hold on against the SMU Mustangs and win the ACC Championship. The win knocked Alabama from the bracket and set up a matchup with the Texas Longhorns. Clemson’s hope for this game comes from looking at Texas and wondering who the Longhorns have really beaten. They won at Michigan in impressive fashion, but that did not end up being a huge deal. Beyond that, the most impressive win is a 17-7 triumph at Texas A&M. The two games against strong opposition ended in a pair of losses to Georgia. That should give Clemson hope, but the Longhorns have a fierce defense that will hope to make Clemson’s offense look like it did against Georgia early in the season. The Tigers have enough firepower at receiver to challenge Texas in the secondary, and Cade Klubnik is playing very well. Still, Phil Mafah’s injury has seriously hindered Clemson’s running game, and that lack of balance will cost them a chance to win the game. I don’t buy Texas’ offense, and I think they’ll be pretty conservative. I believe their defensive line can ultimately wear the Tigers down and do enough to win this game. The combined score ends up being in the 40s, Clemson covers, and Texas wins.

Check out SportsGrid’s models CFB Best Bets here.

Clemson at Texas Best Player Props

There are a lot of fascinating player props for this game. A few favorites include Klubnik at +280 to score an anytime touchdown (Mafah’s injury makes Klubnik’s running far more likely and valuable in the red zone), Quinn Ewers to go under 263.5 passing yards, and Quintrevion Wisner to go over 83.5 rushing yards as Texas leans on the running game and controlling the ball. My favorite prop bet is Clemson freshman star receiver Bryant Wesco to go over 50.5 receiving yards. I think Klubnik will have a hard time against the elite Texas front and secondary, but Wesco is now healthy and showing his dynamism. The freshman was excellent in the ACC Championship Game, and I think he is emerging as the top target for Clemson’s attack.