CFB: Virginia at Clemson (3:30 PM ET, ABC)

The ACC Atlantic could well be determined if Clemson wins, nevertheless, Boston College is right there to take their place should Clemson falter. The Tigers will be taking on a struggling Virginia team, though laying 21-points in any conference contest ca

2009-11-20

The ACC Atlantic could well be determined if Clemson wins, nevertheless, Boston College is right there to take their place should Clemson falter. The Tigers will be taking on a struggling Virginia team, though laying 21-points in any conference contest can be dangerous. That hasn’t stopped nearly 80% of bettors from backing the heavily favored hosts according to the Sportsbook.com BETTING TRENDS page.

Since being upset by Maryland 24-21 as 12.5-point road favorites, the Clemson Tigers (7-3, 7-2 ATS) have rattled off five consecutive wins and are still in the hunt for a first ACC Atlantic Division crown. The Tigers revival has been about playing more complete football games. In the losses against the Terps and Georgia Tech, they appeared like many Clemson teams before them, unfocused and not ready to play. Though they played less than perfect games against conference partners Miami and Florida State, they kept the down time to a minimum and made the right plays when it counted most. Clemson boasts skill position players that are a threat to score from anywhere in running back C.J. Spiller and receiver Jacoby Ford. The Tigers have alternated spread wins and losses the last 10 games before rivalry game with South Carolina and they beat Virginia last year 13-3 as two-point favorites.

Virginia (3-7, 4-4-1 ATS) is relegated to its third losing season in four years, which could spell the end of nine years of Al Groh as coach in Charlottesville. After averaging in the upper 20’s in points scored for a number of years, the Cavaliers have been at 20 or below in their losing seasons. (19.8 in 2009) This year Groh tried to install a spread offense run by offensive coordinator Gregg Brandon, but wasn’t happy with results and went back to pro-style, which left the team without an offensive identity, explaining the 118th ranking nationally in total offense. Virginia is 18-33 ATS in road games in the second half of the season.

Virginia is 8-36-1 all-time against Clemson; however the underdog is on a 12-4 ATS run in the series.

The StatFox Forecaster projects a Virginia cover. Is that enough to back a team that looks dead & buried? Bettors at Sportsbook.com are loudly voicing “No!”.

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