After completing the first 15-0 season in college football history, the Clemson Tigers are looking to make it 30 wins in a row as they head to New Orleans to face the LSU Tigers in the national championship game on January 13. Clemson was down 16-0 in the PlayStation Fiesta Bowl, one of the national semifinal games, to Ohio State, but roared back to win, 29-23, sealing the game with a 94-yards, four-play drive in the last two minutes, followed by an interception in the end zone.
LSU had a much easier time in the Chick-Fil-A Peach Bowl, routing Oklahoma to the tune of a 63-28 score that was even more of a blowout than that final score indicates. LSU comes in as the favorite, but Clemson has been the national championship underdog before, beating Alabama in both situations.
Can Clemson pull off another upset and another historic season? Or will LSU’s offensive juggernaut finally give Clemson’s venerable defense more than it can handle? Don’t miss our sports betting preview of this game that promises to be a classic matchup.
LSU vs Clemson 2020 National Championship Odds & Preview
- When: Monday, January 13, 2020, 8:00 pm ET
- Where: Mercedes-Benz Superdome, New Orleans
- TV: ESPN
- Radio: ESPN Radio
- Live Stream: WatchESPN
- 2020 National Championship Odds: LSU -5.5 / O/U 51.5
Why should you put your money on LSU?
LSU beat Alabama and Georgia this year — along with Auburn, Florida and Texas A&M. Clemson also beat Texas A&M, arguably their best win of the regular season. In LSU’s Peach Bowl win over Oklahoma, Joe Burrow had historic numbers, going 29 for 39 for 493 yards and seven passing touchdowns, along with a rushing touchdown. Justin Jefferson hauled in four of those touchdown catches, part of his night of 14 receptions for 227 yards.
On defense, LSU held Oklahoma to 322 yards and 28 points, most of which came when the reserves were in the game. Linebacker Patrick Queen had eight tackles and 1 ½ tackles for loss. Cornerback Kary Vincent Jr was the top tackler in the secondary and also had an interception. In the first half, LSU kept Oklahoma’s offense off the field and set the tone, making Oklahoma’s defense stay on the field and run into fatigue in a game that was essentially over by the end of the first quarter.
Why should you bet on Clemson?
Clemson’s defense bent but did not break against Ohio State. The Buckeyes picked up 516 yards of offense and scored 23 points, but they only had two touchdowns as opposed to three field goals. Those red zone stops by Clemson’s defense helped what could have been an early 28-0 hole turn into a 16-0 deficit instead. Linebacker Isaiah Simmons and safety Nolan Turner each had interceptions in the second half — and Justin Fields had only thrown one interception all season long. Chad Smith led the Clemson defense with a dozen tackles on the night.
On offense, Clemson got 366 yards from quarterback Trevor Lawrence alone, 259 through the air and 107 on the ground. He threw for two touchdowns and ran for another, a 67-yard scramble that was instrumental in changing the game’s momentum late in the first half. Tailback Travis Etienne only ran for 32 yards but caught two touchdown passes, including the game-winner in the waning moments to cap off a 94-yard, four-play drive.
Final Score Prediction
I see this game coming down to the final possession, so with a spread of 5 ½ points, I’m going to take Clemson to cover. In most cases where teams score to win, the spread is either three or four points. Why do I think Clemson will stay so close? Their defense is significantly better than that of Oklahoma, and they have experience winning clutch games like these, while Oklahoma had the mental baggage of a history of flaming out in the national semifinal. I predict a final score of LSU 40, Clemson 37.
