Clemson Tigers vs. Wake Forest Demon Deacons Betting Odds, College Football Pick

Clemson owns a five-game winning streak in the series with ACC rival Wake Forest, going 4-1 against the spread in that span and winning those games by an average score of 39-12.

The Tigers also own a five-game winning streak this season. Clemson can push both those runs to six games when they take on 2-6 Wake Forest Thursday night in Winston-Salem.

Point spread: The Tigers opened as 20-point favorites, according to sportsbooks monitored by Odds Shark. (Line updates and matchup report)

College football pick, via Odds Shark computer: 37.9-17.1 Tigers

Why the Clemson Tigers can cover the spread

The Tigers just beat Syracuse 16-6, so they're 5-0 straight up and 3-2 ATS since losing that game to Florida State in overtime back in September. Two weeks ago, Clemson outgained Boston College by 135 yards in a 17-13 victory over the Eagles, and last week the Tigers outgained the Orange by 205 yards. In fact, the Tigers have outgained and outrushed six of eight opponents this season.

Clemson isn't its usual explosive self on offense yet this year; after averaging over 40 points per game the last two seasons, the Tigers are averaging more than a touchdown less this season. But Clemson's defense, which was pretty good last year, is even better this year, ranking second in the country overall and 10th vs. the run.

Why the Wake Forest Demon Deacons can cover the spread

Let's be honest: The Demon Deacons are not a good team at the moment. They've lost four games in a row, a couple in non-competitive fashion, while getting beat up on the stats sheet. However, they have covered four spreads this season, including as underdogs against Utah State, Louisville and Boston College—all of whom are 6-3 at the moment.

Last week Wake Forest trailed the Eagles 17-0 early, but rallied to within 23-17 with six minutes to go before running out of gas. The Deacons have been forced to go with freshman John Wolford at quarterback, and while he's thrown 13 interceptions, he's kept that to three over the last three weeks. The Wake Forest defense also ranks a respectable 40th in the country overall. With Clemson quarterback Deshaun Watson out with a finger injury, perhaps the Deacons can keep this one close.

Smart Pick

Clemson is tough against the run, and Wake Forest can't run. And relying on a guy who barely showed up on the preseason depth chart to spark a passing game is asking a lot. The Tigers, despite some injuries, will win this game, and in this spot, the winner is likely to cover the spread. So the smart betting choice here is with Clemson, minus the points.

Betting Trends

• Clemson is 10-5 ATS in its last 15 games on the road
• Wake Forest is 0-5 SU in its last five games when playing Clemson

All point spread and lines data courtesy of Odds Shark, all quotes gathered firsthand unless otherwise noted. Check out Twitter for injury and line movement updates and get the free odds tracker app.