Days away from kickoff, betting line for Clemson-Georgia holding steady
With the 2021 season set to begin, ESPN Chalk writer David Purdum joined us this week to talk about Clemson’s chances to beat Georgia and whether or not the neutral-site game plays a part in the betting line. The Tigers also have the second-best odds to win a national championship.
Here’s what Purdum said.
The State: What are the current odds of Clemson winning a national championship? How does that compare to the odds in previous years?
David Purdum: The Tigers remain in the top tier of national-title contenders at sportsbooks. Clemson is around 4-1 to win it all this season, with only defending-champion Alabama having better odds.
TS: What is the current betting line for the Georgia game? Has it changed since the first line was released?
DP: Clemson started the week as a 3-point favorite over Georgia. The line opened as high as Clemson -4, but has moved in the Bulldogs’ direction recently.
TS: Will this be a heavily-betted game?
DP: Absolutely.
TS: What are some other games that are getting a lot of betting action?
DP: Alabama-Miami, LSU-UCLA also will be heavily bet.
TS: Does the game being a neutral site affect the betting line? What other factors influence the line?
DP: The game being a neutral site has some impact on the line. Clemson at home would have likely been a slightly bigger favorite. But in general, oddsmakers say that home-field advantage is often overstated and does not impact the line as much as people believe. Injuries to key players, primarily QBs, have the biggest impact on the lines.
TS: How, or when, do sportsbooks factor in a college team losing an all-world talent like Trevor Lawrence?
DP: It definitely plays into the power ratings that oddsmakers maintain for every team, and the Tigers were dropped a little in most power ratings, but maybe not as much as everyone would expect. Again, they have the second-best odds to win the national title.
TS: Speaking of Lawrence, are there any tell-tale odds for how he and the Jaguars might do this year?
DP: Lawrence is the consensus favorite to win offensive rookie of the year, but the odds are against the Jaguars also having a big season. Jacksonville is around 150/1 to win the Super Bowl at some sportsbooks.
ACC Week 1 football game schedule, betting odds
Odds according to ESPN Chalk unless otherwise noted.
Thursday
7:30 p.m.: NC State (-18.5) vs South Florida
Friday
6 p.m.: Virginia Tech vs UNC (-5.5)
7 p.m.: Charlotte vs Duke (-6.5)
7 p.m.: Wake Forest (-31.5) vs Old Dominion
Saturday
Noon: Boston College (-46.5) vs. Colgate
3:30 p.m.: Alabama (-19.5) vs. Miami
4 p.m.: Pitt (-38) vs UMass
7 p.m. Ohio vs. Syracuse (-1.5)
7:30 p.m.: Georgia Tech (-18) vs. Northern Illinois
7:30 p.m.: Virginia (-33) vs. William & Mary
7:30 p.m.: Clemson (-3) vs. Georgia
Sunday
7:30 p.m.: Florida State vs. Notre Dame (-7.5)*
Monday
8 p.m.: Louisville vs. Ole Miss (-10)*
* = VegasInsider
