Clemson Tigers vs. Wake Forest Demon Deacons Pick 9/12/20

No. 1 Clemson Tigers (0-0 SU, 0-0 ATS) vs. Wake Forest Demon Deacons (0-0 SU, 0-0 ATS)

Date/Time: Saturday, September 12th 2020. 7:30PM (EST)

Where: Truist Field Winston-Salem, N.C.

TV: ABC

Point Spread: CLEM – 32.5/WF +32.5 (BetOnline – Sweet Live Betting Platform! – 35% Crypto Reload Bonuses!)

Over/Under Total: 60

Despite all of the off-season uncertainties around COVID-19, the top-ranked Clemson Tigers will finally kick off their season this Saturday with a trip to Winston-Salem to battle the Wake Forest Demon Deacons. Clemson Head Coach Dabo Swinney was among the most outspoken coaches over the summer and consistently advocated for keeping the college football season intact. While most players and coaches wanted to play this season, don’t chalk up Dabo’s behavior this summer as “coach talk.” Swinney, more than anyone, knows the Clemson Tigers are legitimate national championship contenders, and they will get their first chance to prove it this Saturday!

Admittedly, Wake Forest does not present the biggest opening game threat this Saturday. The Demon Deacons are listed as 32.5 point underdogs despite a respectable 8-5 SU campaign in 2019. Wake Forest earned its 4th straight bowl appearance in 2019, and despite a loss to Michigan State in the Pinstripe Bowl, it was the first time in school history the Demon Deacons earned four straight bowl appearances. Head coach Dave Clawson has done a tremendous job of turning around the Wake Forest program since taking over in 2014. However, Clawson will face one of his biggest challenges this season as the Demon Deacons look to rebuild after losing numerous key contributors from a season ago.

Wake Forest’s inexperience overwhelming going into 2020

The Demon Deacons lost nearly all of their key contributors from a year ago. Multi-threat quarterback Jamie Newman is gone, which presents a massive problem in itself. Not only will Dave Clawson have to deal with a new quarterback, but the entire offense will basically be brand new. There is not a single returning starter at the skill positions. The only returning starters on the entire offense are among the offensive line meaning the entire unit will be filled with inexperience and unproven talent. For these reasons, this Saturday’s match-up against Clemson is not only daunting from a talent comparison, but the timing of this match-up definitely delivers a massive edge to Clemson in the realm of experience.

At this time, we do know the Demon Deacons will turn to sophomore quarterback Sam Hartman to lead the offense. Hartman knows the offense and will be utilized in a similar dual-threat fashion as former quarterback Jamie Newman. The most significant question mark for Hartman is his throwing accuracy. The game time experience will definitely be concerning. In limited action last year, Hartman was not a sharp passer, and when you consider the new faces for the entire offense, there are way too many question marks to yield any type of comfort going into the opening weeks of the season.

Clemson poised for another National Championship run

On the Demon Deacons side of the field, all we see is inexperience and uncertainty. For Clemson, it is the complete opposite. The Tigers return two of the biggest playmakers in the country in quarterback Trevor Lawrence and running back Travis Etienne. Lawrence threw for 3,665 yards with 36 touchdowns and eight picks last season while adding another 563 rushing yards with nine scores on the ground. Meanwhile, Etienne was the big-play threat out of the backfield averaging nearly 8 yards per touch. Etienne finished 7th in the FBS with 1,614 rushing yards and 19 touchdowns despite being commonly pulled in the 2nd half when the game was out of reach.

When you combine two of the nation’s biggest playmakers with an extremely effective offense with budding talent in the receiving corps and take into account Clemson’s elite defense, the Tigers have the complete package. Dabo Swinney and Clemson have captured National Championships in 2 of the last four years. I would argue this year’s team, at least from a talent narrative, is the best among all prior groups. For this Saturday’s game against Wake Forest, I believe the Tigers’ defense holds the most significant advantage of helping Clemson cover the moonster 32.5 point spread. Due to the Demon Deacons’ lack of experience, I expect Clemson’s defense to overpower, disrupt, and shut down Wake Forest for 60 straight minutes. As long as the Clemson offense delivers, I can see this game getting ugly quickly!

Jay’s Pick to Cover the Point Spread: Clemson -32.5. Bet your week 2 college football picks for FREE by taking advantage of a 100% REAL CASH bonus on your first deposit of $100 to $300 at MyBookie Sportsbook!