Clemson vs Texas Early Prediction, Pick & Odds – CFP Playoffs Round 1

• Texas (11-2) hosts Clemson (10-3) in a first-round College Football Playoff game Saturday, Dec. 21 at 4 p.m.
• Clemson won the ACC championship game over SMU, while Texas lost in the SEC title game in overtime to Georgia.
• Check out our early preview for the first meeting in history between these two college bluebloods, including a look at the opening lines and a prediction.

After a dramatic win in the ACC title game, 12th-seeded Clemson (10-3, 6-6 ATS) rides into the college football playoff to face fifth-seeded Texas (11-2, 7-6 ATS) Saturday, Dec. 21 on TNT.

It’s the Tigers’ first appearance in the CFP since 2020. Clemson won the national title in 2016 and 2018. This is Texas’ first season in the SEC. They have two losses, both to SEC champ Georgia.

We’ve got everything you need to know about these two teams, including a breakdown of the early odds and a prediction for this first-round College Football Playoff encounter.

Clemson vs Texas odds

Odds as of Dec. 9 at Caesars Sportsbook. Be sure to check the top Caesars Sportsbook promos before making a bet on any College Football Playoff Round 1 match-up. 

CAESARS SPORTSBOOK

Bet $1 & Double Your Winnings On Your Next 10 Bets!

LOCK IN PROMO

CODE: SBD2DYW

CODE: SBD2DYW

SIGNUP BONUS

DOUBLE YOUR
WINNINGS

ON YOUR NEXT 10 BETS!

CLAIM OFFER

Texas opened up as 10.5-point favorites, and that number had already ticked up a half point in the first 24 hours to 11 points at Caesars and DraftKings.

The Longhorns are 7-6 against the spread and lost three of their last four games against the spread. Clemson is 6-6 against the spread (there was no posted line for their game with The Citadel). They’ve also lost three of its last four games against the number.

When talking total, both of these teams have been a good under bet this season. Clemson is 4-8 over/under, while Texas is just 4-8-1. The last four Clemson games have all hit the under. The early posted total is 51.5.

Looking at moneyline bets, best early value is Clemson +328 at Caesars and Texas -400 at BetMGM.

"Cade Klubnik's our guy" 🤠@ClemsonFB's QB1 will make his CFP debut in his hometown Austin, TX. pic.twitter.com/d9XPLMcxaD

— ACC Football (@ACCFootball) December 8, 2024

Talking Tigers

How did Clemson get here? Their 10-3 record isn’t impressive. They have losses to South Carolina and Louisville. The truth is Coach Dabo Swinney has built an opportunistic, tough team that is second in the nation in turnover margin at +16.

Quarterback Cade Klubnik has thrown for 33 touchdowns and done so without a real 1A man as a wide receiver. His best look is probably tight end Jake Briningstool, who has set Clemson career records for a tight end with 123 catches and 17 touchdowns.

Defensively, the Tigers – again – aren’t that impressive. They were 14th in the ACC against the run, and fourth in points allowed. TJ Parker has 11 sacks. Clemson has won games by forcing teams into mistakes and taking advantage. Klubnik doesn’t do one thing especially well, but he has no glaring weaknesses.

Texas Two Step

After a second loss to Georgia in the SEC championship game, there was some social media chatter questioning the Longhorns, who don’t have a win over a (current) Top 25 team.

But remember, Texas clobbered Michigan early in the season (when we thought Michigan was good), and destroyed Texas A&M two weeks ago (when we thought A&M was good). Quarterback Quinn Ewers missed some games this season and fell off the early Heisman lists. He’s thrown for 2,665 yards and 25 touchdowns.

Texas, for some reason, has turned back-up QB Arch Manning into some variation of Tim Tebow and is using him as a power runner.

ANTHONY HILL JR. STANDS ON BUSINESS😤 pic.twitter.com/OnRhxK6ZDz

— Inside Texas (@InsideTexas) December 7, 2024

The strength of Texas is its defense. It ranked No. 2 in the nation in scoring, and was the No. 1 defense in the nation against the pass. Anthony Hill Jr. had 7.5 sacks and a team-high 90 tackles.

Clemson vs Texas Early Prediction

• Texas -10.5 (at FanDuel)
• Under 51.5 (at FanDuel)

Texas may have its faults, but it’s better than Clemson. The Texas defensive line will be all over Klubnik, and Clemson doesn’t have a game breaker at wide receiver. On the other side of the ball, Texas’ offense can sometimes seem pretty jumbled, but Clemson has had trouble stopping the run.

Texas will pound the ball with Quintrevion Wisner. We like the under and could see Texas winning by a couple of touchdowns, like 24-7.