2017 Clemson Betting Preview: Tigers Odds and Betting Trends for Season

The Clemson Tigers clawed their way to a national championship last season, their first since 1981. Now, as with all national champions, the challenge becomes repeating as champs.

The oddsmakers at sportsbooks monitored by OddsShark.com are giving them a decent chance on their college football futures, but the Tigers lost a lot of talent over the offseason and should probably be lined even higher.

2016 Clemson Record: 14-1 straight up, 8-7 against the spread

2017 regular-season win over/under: 9.5 wins

2017 odds to win ACC: +300 (wager $100 to win $300)

2017 odds to win National Championship: +2800 (wager $100 to win $2800)

2016 Clemson Season in Review

After losing the national championship game to Alabama the previous season Clemson went off last season at +800 to win the national title. The Tigers started 9-0, with key wins over Louisville and Florida State, before a crazy loss to Pittsburgh. But they then won their last three, including a victory over Virginia Tech for a second straight ACC crown and a second straight trip to the College Football Playoff.

Clemson pulled off one of the biggest shockers of the year when it totally dominated Ohio State in the national semifinal Fiesta Bowl. Finally, the Tigers capped off a wonderful season by upsetting Alabama in the national championship contest 35-31 on a Deshaun Watson touchdown pass with one second left on the clock.

Clemson is now 60-9 SU and 38-30-1 ATS on the college football point spreads over the last five seasons.

2017 Clemson Season Preview

This year the Tigers get back a dozen starters, which is exactly the number they returned for last season. Only five starters are back on offense, following the departures of Watson, running back Wayne Gallman, wide receiver Mike Williams and tight end Jordan Leggett. But four starters return on the offensive line. Meanwhile seven starters are back on defense, anchored by three of the big boys up front.

Clemson averaged 504 yards and 39 points per game last year, while holding opponents to 311 yards and 18 points per game. The Tigers will not match those first figures this season, but the defense should come close to matching the second.

Clemson 2017 Schedule

The Tigers host Auburn for an interesting Week 2 matchup, the back half of that home-and-home series. They then open ACC play the following week at Louisville. Those are both potential losses.

From there they also have to play at Virginia Tech, at North Carolina State and at South Carolina. But they get the big matchup with Florida State at Death Valley, and they miss three of the better teams out of the Coastal Division in Miami, Pitt and North Carolina.

Betting Clemson in 2017

Clemson almost assuredly will take a step back this season. The Tigers won a bunch of games that could have gone either way last year, while this year they've got lots of holes to fill. And that's not a good combination. Ten wins will be an achievement for this team.

Check out the OddsShark ACC Betting Preview for all the details on the 2017 college football season.