Kent State Golden Flashes vs. Clemson Tigers Odds, Football Betting Pick

Winning a national championship means several things, among them is that repeating the following season is tough to do, as is covering spreads. The 10 national champions prior to Clemson have combined to go just 64-68 against the spread during their defenses.

The Tigers will kick off the defense of their championship as huge favorites when they welcome Kent State into Death Valley on Saturday afternoon.

College football point spread: The Tigers opened as 40-point favorites, according to sportsbooks monitored by OddsShark. (Line updates and matchup report)

College football betting pick, via OddsShark computer: 47.7-12.9 Tigers (College football picks on every game)

Why the Kent State Golden Flashes can cover the spread

The Flashes get back 13 starters this season from a team that finished 3-9 last year. But Kent State was down to its fourth-string quarterback at times and lost four games by a total of 15 points. Seven starters return on offense, including senior QB Nick Holley, who led the team in rushing last year with 920 yards, and three along the offensive line. And six starters return from a defense that was actually a little better than the 28.7 points per game allowed last season might indicate.

The Golden Flashes played the defending national champions last year too, falling to Alabama 48-0. But they would have covered that game at +44 had they not given up a touchdown on a punt return and had a touchdown called back from deep inside Tide territory. In fact, that was the only time in Kent State's last five times out as a dog of 20 points or more it did not cover.

Why the Clemson Tigers can cover the spread

Clemson, placed seventh in the College Football Preseason Power Rankings at PredictionMachine.com, returns 12 starters from the team that repeated as ACC champions last year, then won the national championship. Along the way, the Tigers beat five ranked teams, ending with victories over No. 2 Ohio State and No. 1 Alabama.

Only five starters are back on offense, but four of those are along a great offensive line. And seven starters are back from a defense that allowed just 311.5 yards and 18.0 points per game last season.

Smart pick

Clemson has some holes to fill at key spots, including quarterback where it's looking for someone to replace Deshaun Watson's leadership and production. And that won't be easy. Also, the Tigers have a rather important nonconference meeting with Auburn next week and might be tempted to rest some starters once this game is in hand.

Plus, playing at home means the spread is probably inflated by several points. Clemson is going to win this game, but the smart money at online betting sites takes the points with Kent State.

College football betting trends

The total has gone over in five of Clemson's last six games.

Kent State is 3-14 SU in its last 17 games on the road.

Kent State is 2-4 ATS in its last six games.

All college football odds and betting trends courtesy of Bleacher Report’s official odds partner, OddsShark. All quotes gathered firsthand unless otherwise noted. Check out Twitter for injury and line-movement updates and the OddsShark YouTube page for picks and analysis, or download the free odds tracker app.