Orange Bowl Picks: Clemson Favored Over Tennessee

What: 2022 Orange Bowl, Clemson vs Tennessee
When: Friday, December 30th
Where: Hard Rock Stadium

It's nearly bowl season in Online college football betting and in the Orange Bowl, we'll have a very intriguing matchup at Hard Rock Stadium between the ACC and SEC as the Clemson Tigers face the Tennessee Volunteers on Friday, December 30th. This game can be seen on ESPN. The Tigers finished with an 11-2 record in 2022 and absolutely annihilated UNC in the ACC title game, 39-10. That was with backup QB Cade Klubnik under center and he is in line to start again. The Vols meanwhile went 10-2 and although they fell short of the SEC Championship, they destroyed Vanderbilt 56-0 in their final contest of the campaign. Find the Clemson vs Tennessee prediction below.

Before we get into the odds and analysis as to who could win on New Year's Eve, make sure to check out our reviews of the top online sportsbooks.

Clemson vs Tennessee Odds

	Spread	Moneyline	Total
Clemson	-6.5 (-110)	TBD	Ov 64 (-110)
Tennessee	+6.5 (-110)	TBD	Un 64 (-110)

Clemson is a 6.5-point favorite in the Orange Bowl and the total is set at 64, which makes sense. Both teams possess electric offenses and sub-par defenses. It's been 18 years since the last meeting, with the Tigers winning 27-14.

Can Klubnik Keep it Going?

It was a pretty crazy situation for Klubnik against North Carolina. After making a brief season debut in Week 1, he didn't feature again until three drives into the ACC Championship, replacing starter DJ Uiagalelei, who was QB1 all year long. Klubnik went on to absolutely dazzle in that game, completing 20 of 24 passes for 279 yards and throwing for one score. It's going to be interesting to see how Klubnik does with his first career start in arguably the biggest contest of Clemson's campaign. Uiagalelei has already decided to hit the transfer portal, which means it's the Klubnik show on December 30th.

The Tigers have won three of their last four games and rank 25th in the nation in points per game with 34.7. Klubnik has no shortage of weapons out wide, either. Antonio Williams has reeled in a team-high 52 receptions for 557 yards and four touchdowns. Tight end Davis Allen is also a beast, compiling 35 receptions for 394 yards and five TDs. In total, Clemson has six different receivers who have collected a minimum of 20 catches. Defensively, the Tigers aren't fantastic, but they do thrive against the run, ranking 17th in the NCAA. That being said, star defensive end Myles Murphy, who is a projected first-rounder next April, is skipping the Orange Bowl and preparing for the draft. That's a blow to the defense.

Tennessee Will be Without Two Weapons

The Volunteers were one of the feel-good stories of the season. That's until their undefeated record was no longer after a Week 10 loss to Georgia, the favorites to repeat as CFB champions. Regardless, it's hard to ignore just how good this offense is. Tennessee ranks third in total yards, fifth in passing yards, and first in points with 47.3. That was much in part to QB Hendon Hooker though, who was having a Heisman-caliber year before tearing his ACL on November 19th in a 63-38 win over South Carolina. Joe Milton has stepped in and done a decent job, however, completing 63% of his passes for 720 yards and seven touchdowns. Also, wide receiver Cedric Tillman, who played in just six games due to injury, is opting out of the Orange Bowl to prepare for the NFL Draft.

But, the real weapon for the Vols is Jalin Hyatt. The wideout enjoyed a historic campaign, hauling in 67 catches for 1,267 yards and 15 touchdowns. He led the nation in scores and was fourth in receiving yards. Expect Hyatt to play a massive part on New Year's Eve. Defensively, Tennessee will have its work cut out for them. They struggled to contain opponents and Clemson's attack is certainly solid.