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Clemson Favored to Win the Most Games in 2019 College Football Season

David Golokhov

by David Golokhov in College Football

Updated Dec 19, 2022 · 10:10 AM PST

Trevor Lawrence throwing a pass for the Clemson Tigers
Clemson QB Trevor Lawrence is still undefeated in his college career. Photo by David Dennis/Icon Sportswire.
  • Alabama and Clemson open with regular season win totals of 11
  • Both teams went 12-0 in the regular season in 2018
  • Both teams return Heisman Trophy-caliber quarterbacks with Trevor Lawrence and Tua Tagovailoa

The college football offseason is just about to enter the spring sessions.

As we get our first look at 2019 version of the teams, sportsbooks have got an early jump on the regular season NCAAF win totals for next year.

Let’s take a look at the two main headliners – Clemson and Alabama – and see if there is there any value betting them.

2019 NCAA Football Win Totals

Team Regular Season Win Totals Over Odds Under Odds
Clemson Tigers 11 -140 +120
Alabama Crimson Tide 11 +110 -130
Georgia Bulldogs 10.5 -200 +170
Oklahoma Sooners 10.5 +120 -140
Ohio State Buckeyes 10 -160 +140

*Odds taken March 12

Can Clemson Sweep The Board?

The Tigers play 12 regular season games in 2019. With a regular season win total of 11 on the board, the proposition is asking whether the Tigers they’ll go undefeated or not.

Taking a look at Clemson’s schedule, it’s an absolute breeze. The ACC is in complete shambles right now, so they shouldn’t be threatened by anyone.

Remember, they didn’t start Trevor Lawrence until Week 5. In the final eight games of the season, they won by an average of 38.3 points per game.

Clemson’s Toughest Tests

No one in the ACC is expected to be of quality this season. It says a lot that a Syracuse team, that has to replace quarterback Eric Dungey, will be the only other team starting out in the Top 25.

Syracuse has been a thorn in their side, but losing Dungey – and his incredible intangibles – probably makes this less competitive.

That means Clemson’s toughest test will be a visit from Texas A&M. The Aggies could be a Top 10 team entering the season as they return a lot of quality players – including quarterback Kellen Mond.

They nearly beat Clemson last season. However, a road game to Death Valley probably won’t produce an upset.

These two games come back-to-back on Clemson’s schedule, so they have to be careful. After that, it’s all downhill, just as it was last year.

Clemson Must Rebuild Its Defense

It’s hard to worry about Clemson’s offense as Lawrence will now be the unquestioned starter (Kelly Bryant was the starter to open last season), running back Travis Etienne is back, and so are explosive wideouts Tee Higgins and Justyn Ross.

They’ll probably be better – if that’s possible.

The main concern for Clemson is their defense. They have to rebuild their all-world defensive line, most of which is heading to the 2019 NFL Draft. But really, this unit just needs to be good enough to beat Texas A&M.

Tide Are Loaded For Another Run

Do you really want to bet against a pissed off Nick Saban?

The Tide were smoked in the National Championship game and you can bet that they’ll show up with a chip on their shoulder. That includes Heisman Trophy candidate Tua Tagovailoa, who played so poorly that he was benched.

They return tons of talent, including Biletnikoff Award winner Jerry Jeudy and a backfield of future NFL runners.

Bama’s Schedule Is A Breeze

The SEC is supposed to be tough, but Alabama should have a walk in the park for the second year in a row. Texas A&M will be their toughest test. While the young Aggies are on the rise, they haven’t shown they can win these types of games just yet.

Outside of that, Alabama has to visit South Carolina, which is another good-but-not-quite-ready team, Mississippi State, who lost a lot off of their defensive line and top-flight quarterback Nick Fitzgerald, and Auburn.

At home, Alabama gets Ole Miss, Tennessee, Arkansas, and LSU.

Will there be a sweat? Maybe at Texas A&M but the gap in talent, depth, and coaching seems to be quite wide. Their smallest margin of victory was 22 points last season (prior to the SEC Championship Game) and nobody has closed the gap significantly.

What’s The Best Bet?

If the ACC had more contenders, and if the SEC teams were anywhere near Alabama, or even if either team wasn’t returning a Heisman Trophy-caliber quarterback, maybe these teams would stumble.

Betting the under means they’d have to lose twice for you to win your bet.

Could they trip up and lose once? It’s a possibility.

Are they going to lose twice and miss the College Football Playoff entirely? Not unless Tua or Lawrence suffer serious injuries. I just can’t see it. Bet the over on both.

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