Clemson vs Alabama CFP National Championship Free Picks & Odds
by Guy Bruhn - 1/2/2017
Monday, January 9, 2017
CFP National Championship
For Updated Odds on This Game Click Here
The Clemson Tigers take on the Alabama Crimson Tide on Monday, January 9, 2017 in the CFP National Championship game. The opening line for this game has Alabama as 6 point favorites. This season the Tigers are 6-7-0 against the spread and their over/under record is 7-6-0. The Crimson Tide have an over/under record of 6-7-0 and they are 9-4-0 against the spread.
Deshaun Watson finished with 259 yards through the air for Clemson in their 31-0 semifinal win against Ohio State. He completed 23 passes out of 36 attempts for a 64% completion percentage. The Tigers were led in rushing by Wayne Gallman, who finished with 85 yards on 18 rushes. He ended the contest with an average of 5 yards per carry. Mike Williams was the team leader in receiving with a total of 96 yards and 6 receptions. He finished the game with an average of 16 yards per reception. As a team in that game Clemson got a total of 24 first downs. Of those first downs, 12 came on the ground while 12 came through the air. They ran 85 total plays for 470 yards for the game. The Tigers ran for 205 yards on 48 attempts.
Jalen Hurts finished with 57 yards passing for Alabama in their 24-7 semifinal victory against Washington State. He went 7 for 14, resulting in a 50% completion percentage. The Crimson Tide were led on the ground by Bo Scarbrough, who finished with 180 yards on 19 carries. He ended the game with an average of 10 yards per rush. O.J. Howard led the team in receiving with 44 yards and 4 catches. He finished the game with an average of 11 yards per reception. Alabama had 16 first downs total. 10 came from running the ball and 4 came from a pass. They ran 64 total plays for 326 yards for the contest. The Crimson Tide ran for 269 yards on 50 carries as a team.
Clemson scores 40.2 points per game on offense this season, which ranks 15th in Division 1. In the passing department, they average 27.8 passes on 41.2 attempts for a 67.7 percent completion percentage this season. They throw for a total of 332.6 yards per game through the air as well, which ranks them 7th in college football. The Tigers run for an average of 173.4 yards per game on 38.5 attempts for an average of 4.5 yards per carry. That ranks them 69th in the nation. They also run 79.6 plays per contest and average 6.4 yards per play for an average of 506 yards per game, ranking their offense 13th overall this season. The Tigers average 26.8 first downs per game which ranks them 5th in the country. They accumulate 59.2 penalty yards per game via 6.7 penalties, which ranks 39th in the nation.
Clemson allows 188.2 passing yards per game, ranking 19th in D-1, and they allow 18.4 points per contest on defense, which ranks 12th. They give up 16.8 completions on 32 attempts per game for a completion percentage of 52.6. The Tigers allow 125.8 rushing yards per game on 36 carries for an average of 3.5 yards per carry, which ranks their rush defense 23rd in the country. Clemson allows 313.9 total yards per game including 4.6 yards per play, which ranks their overall defense 9th in terms of yards per game. They force 1.8 turnovers per contest and get flagged for 7.8 penalties for 66 yards per game, ranking them 112th among D-1 teams.
Alabama averages 40.5 points per game this season on offense, which ranks them 13th in the country. In the passing department, they complete 18.7 passes per game on 28.5 attempts for a 65.7 percent completion percentage. They throw for 224.1 yards through the air per game, ranking them 71st in Division 1. The Crimson Tide run for an average of 247.2 yards per game on 42.8 attempts for an average of 5.8 yards per carry this season, which ranks them 13th on the ground. They also run 71.2 plays per game and average 6.6 yards per play for a total of 471.3 yards per game, ranking them 26th in the country on offense. The Crimson Tide get an average of 21.8 first downs per game, which ranks 51st in the nation. They average 39.4 penalty yards per game via 5.1 penalties, ranking them 118th in college football.
Alabama allows an average of 184.5 passing yards per game, which ranks 14th in Division 1. Their defense overall allows 11.8 points per contest, which has them ranked 1st in the nation. They give up 16.7 completions on 31.7 attempts for a completion percentage of 52.7 per game. The Crimson Tide allow 63.8 rushing yards per contest on 31.2 carries for a 2 average per rush, ranking their overall rush defense 1st in the country. Alabama allows 248.2 total yards per game for an average of 3.9 yards per play, which ranks 1st in D-1. They force 1.8 turnovers per contest and 4 penalties for 32.8 yards in each contest, ranking 1st in the nation.
Clemson Betting Trends
Clemson is 7-6-0 against the over/under this season
Clemson has an ATS record of 6-7-0 this season
Alabama Betting Trends
Alabama is 6-7-0 against the over/under this season
Alabama has an ATS record of 9-4-0 this season
Injuries to Watch
Clemson
12/17/16 WR Trevion Thompson Wrist out for season
10/13/16 WR Adrien Dunn ACL out indefinitely
09/22/16 DB Brian Dawkins Knee out indefinitely
09/22/16 OL Chandler Reeves Knee out indefinitely
01/01/17 CB Adrian Baker Knee doubtful Monday vs. Alabama
01/01/17 T Jake Fruhmorgen Personal doubtful Monday vs. Alabama
Alabama
12/17/16 DE Dakota Ball Finger out indefinitely
12/07/16 LB Shaun Dion Hamilton Knee out for season
12/06/16 OL Josh Casher Foot out for season
11/14/16 OL Alphonse Taylor Undisclosed out indefinitely
11/03/16 RB B.J. Emmons Foot out indefinitely
10/23/16 DB Eddie Jackson Leg out for season
09/29/16 QB Blake Barnett Personal has left team
Guy's Pick: Take Alabama -6
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