Fiesta Bowl odds: Clemson underdog vs. Ohio State in CFP semifinal

By Sports Illustrated and OddsShark/Sports Illustrated
Published

The Clemson Tigers are 5—0 straight up and 4—1 against the spread in their last five games against Big Ten opponents. The Tigers hope to extend that winning streak with an upset win over the Ohio State Buckeyes in the Fiesta Bowl.

Clemson is a 3-point betting underdog in the College Football Playoff semifinal at sportsbooks monitored by OddsShark.com. In their last six games against teams with winning records, the Tigers are 1—5 ATS.

The Tigers' march to a second straight undefeated regular season came to an end at the hands of the Pittsburgh Panthers in a 43—42 upset at home as a 21.5-point favorite. But Clemson bounced back from that loss with three straight wins, locking up the ACC Championship and a playoff spot with a 12—1 SU and 6—7 ATS record.

Clemson rose to the occasion in its two toughest games of the season, defeating Louisville 42-36 at home and Florida State 37—34 on the road. Over the team's last 13 games as an underdog, the Tigers are 10—3 ATS with seven outright upsets per the OddsShark College Football Database.

Ohio State's 24—21 road loss to Penn State as a 17.5-point favorite was shocking when it happened, but it doesn't look quite as bad in hindsight given how well the Nittany Lions played down the stretch. Like Clemson, Ohio State bounced back from its one loss to run the table the rest of the way, winning each of its last five games including an instant classic at home against Michigan in the final game of the regular season.

The Buckeyes are 11—1 SU in their last 12 games after losing the previous game of a matchup, which they did to Clemson in the 2014 Orange Bowl.

The total for Saturday's game is set at 59 points on the college football lines. The OVER is 4—0 in Clemson's last four games.

Two of the best quarterbacks in the nation will clash in this matchup as Clemson's Deshaun Watson takes on Ohio State's J.T. Barrett. Ohio State and Clemson separated themselves from the pack as the two best teams behind Alabama in the country this season, but only one will get the chance to play for the national championship in January.