Miami vs. Clemson Expert Picks for Saturday: College Football Odds, Predictions

Today's showdown brings us one of the biggest games on the college football schedule, and we have you covered with our Miami vs. Clemson expert picks. The No. 4 Miami Hurricanes travel to take on the Clemson Tigers at Memorial Stadium in Clemson, South Carolina, with kickoff scheduled for 7:30 p.m. ET on ABC.

Miami enters the matchup unbeaten at 4-0 and 2-0 in ACC play, while Clemson sits at 3-1 overall and 2-0 in conference action. With both teams undefeated in ACC play, Saturday night’s matchup carries significant conference implications as Miami looks to stay perfect and Clemson aims to defend its home field against a top-five opponent.

🏈 Miami vs. Clemson expert picks: College football Saturday

See all of our experts' college football picks for Week 5 based on the latest college football odds.

Mike Spector's pick: Clemson +16.5 (-105 via bet365)

There has been no hangover for Ohio State after losing to Texas in Week 2, as it scored 101 points over the last two weeks. But I’m focused more on the Buckeyes defense which has allowed just one touchdown on 36 opponent drives over the first three quarters of games.

On the other side, Iowa’s defense leads the country in points per game allowed (8.0) and is 10th in total defense (239.8 yards per game). The Hawkeyes have allowed just three touchdowns over 16 quarters of action this season.

Originally I was curious about siding with the perceived sharp action on Iowa’s side, as the line quickly moved off the key number of +14 to +13.5. But now Ohio State has drifted back out to -14.5, and Iowa is also 0-7 ATS in its last seven games as a double-digit underdog. Thus, the first-half Under is my safest bet, as Iowa will likely play conservatively and do everything in its power to keep this game close heading into the second half.

See Matt MacKay's full analysis in his Miami vs. Clemson predictions.

LJ Blut's pick: Gideon Davidson anytime TD (+135 via FanDuel)

Gideon Davidson enters this matchup as one of Clemson’s most important offensive weapons, giving him a strong opportunity to find the end zone against Miami. Davidson has already shown his scoring upside this season, including a two-touchdown performance against Cal in which he rushed for 159 yards on 22 carries.

His combination of power, vision, and big-play ability makes him a dangerous option near the goal line. Clemson should continue relying on Davidson to carry the rushing workload, especially in scoring situations. With his recent production and expected volume, Davidson has a strong chance to punch one into the end zone Saturday night.

See LJ Blut's full analysis in his Miami vs. Clemson touchdown scorer pick.

Brenden Schaeffer's pick: Under 47.5 (-110 via FanDuel)

Though Miami blasted Stanford 45-6 in its first road game, that matchup doesn’t reflect my expected outcome for this one because Stanford’s defense (110th in adjusted efficiency) doesn’t translate to how Clemson (30th in adjusted defensive efficiency) might slow down the Hurricanes.

Outside an embarrassing 51-point allowance on the road at LSU, Clemson has kept it tidy on defense. In a charged-up road environment, I could see Miami struggling to score at its typical pace. 

Meanwhile, Clemson ranks 110th in adjusted offensive efficiency and likely won’t contribute much to the scoring. 

See Brenden Schaeffer's full analysis in his Miami vs. Clemson same-game parlay.

📺 How to watch Miami vs. Clemson: Week 5

• Date: Saturday, Oct. 3
• Kickoff: 7:30 p.m. ET
• Location: Memorial Stadium (Clemson, SC)
• Streaming: ABC