Clemson is the Pick to Beat Pittsburgh in Week 12 ACC Matchup

  • Who: Clemson (20) vs. Pittsburgh
  • Date: Saturday, November 16, 2024
  • Location: Acrisure Stadium, Pittsburgh, PA
  • Time: 12:00 p.m. ET
  • How to Watch: ESPN

One of the biggest NCAA football games on the Week 12 schedule sees the Clemson Tigers visiting the Pittsburgh Panthers at Acrisure Stadium. Clemson enters the game at No. 20 in the College Football Playoff Rankings. Meanwhile, Pittsburgh fell from those rankings this week. The Panthers were the No. 18 team heading into Week 11. The winner of this matchup remains in the hunt for a spot in the ACC Championship Game.

Clemson (7-2, 6-1) lost their opening game of the season (34-3) against Georgia but ran off six wins after that. The Tigers then fell 33-21 to Louisville in early November before bouncing back with a 24-14 victory over Virginia Tech in Week 11.

Pittsburgh (7-2, 3-2) opened the 2024 season with a perfect 7-0 record, but the Panthers enter Week 12 coming off back-to-back losses to SMU and Virginia, where they were outscored 72-44.

Before we look at the betting odds, picks, and predictions for the Week 12 NCAA football game between Clemson and Pittsburgh, check out our best NCAA football betting sites, and where you can find the betting odds for the 2025 national championship.

NCAA football: Clemson vs. Pittsburgh betting picks

TeamsBetOnline Sportsbook ReviewBovada Sportsbook ReviewBetUS Sportsbook ReviewMyBookie Sportsbook Review
Clemson-370-410-370-400
Pittsburgh+300+305+295+300
Over 53.5 Points-110-110-110-110
Under 53.5 Points-110-110-110-110

Clemson betting breakdown

This is Clemson’s final ACC game of the year. They are 6-1 in the conference, which puts them behind SMU (5-0), but ahead of Miami (5-1). Clemson needs a win here to stay in the hunt to compete in the ACC Championship game.

One thing Clemson needs to do is get the ball in the hands of senior running back Phil Mafah. Mafah is second in the ACC in rushing yards with 981 on 161 attempts. He earns an average of 6.1 yards per carry and has eight touchdowns on the season. The Clemson defense needs to be ready for the Pittsburgh passing game, as the Panthers are a team that is focused on throwing the ball more than running. Only four teams in college football have thrown the ball more than Pittsburgh in 2024. The Tigers’ defense has struggled a bit on defense this year, and they could be without two of their top lineman in Peter Wood and DeMonte Capehart who missed last week’s game against Virginia Tech.

Clemson averages 473.4 yards per game on offense, 274.8 of that comes via passing and 198.7 on the ground. The team’s defense allows 336.7 yards per game with 207.8 passing and 128.9 rushing.

ClemsonTO BEAT PITTSBURGH
★★★★★
-370
Bet now

Pittsburgh betting breakdown

Pittsburgh is still in the running to make the ACC Championship game, but they need a lot more help than Clemson. For the Panthers to make that game, the team must win this game and their two remaining ACC games. They also need Miami to lose at least one game to force a tiebreaker scenario. With that in mind, the Panthers could come into Saturday’s game without starting quarterback Eli Holstein. In addition, the team’s top receiver, Konata Mumpfield, was injured in last week’s 24-19 loss to Virginia.

With Clemson expecting the passing game of the Panthers, look for the team to change things up and rush the ball more often in Week 12. The team has succeeded when they’ve used their running game, as they average five yards per carry, which is not far behind Clemson’s 5.4 yards per carry, leading the ACC. Watch for the team to opt to go with the running option when they run play action.

The Pittsburgh offense averages 427.4 yards per game, with 276.8 passing and 150.7 rushing yards. As for defense, the Panthers give up 361.4 yards per game, 251.7 in the air and 109.8 on the ground.

Pittsburgh TO BEAT CLEMSON
★★★★★
+305
Bet now

Best bets: Clemson vs. Pittsburgh

No matter who the starting quarterback is for Pittsburgh, expect them to struggle to get their game going against the Clemson defense.

The betting pick is for Clemson to beat Pittsburgh in Week 12 ACC action.

ClemsonTO BEAT PITTSBURGH
★★★★★
-370
Bet now

With Pittsburgh having problems on offense in this game don’t expect the Panthers to match the Clemson Tigers in scoring.

The betting pick is for Clemson and Pittsburgh to combine for under 53.5 points

Clemson and PittsburghTO COMBINE FOR UNDER 53.5 POINTS
★★★★★
-110
Bet now

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Trent Reinsmith

Trent is a professional sports journalist specializing in UFC, MMA, and esports coverage. His work has been featured in prestigious publications such as USA Today Sports, Vice, Bloody Elbow, Fight! Magazine, UFC 360, and Narratively. Trent's connection to MMA dates back to the early days when he and his friends pooled their resources to purchase the pay-per-...

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