Tennessee vs Clemson Prediction, Odds & Best Bet for 2022 Orange Bowl (Defense Leads the Way in Tigers Victory)

Tennessee vs Clemson Orange Bowl Game Info

2022 College Football Game - Orange Bowl
No. 6 Tennessee Volunteers (10-2) vs. No. 7 Clemson Tigers (11-2)
Date: Friday, Dec. 30, 2022
Time: 8:00 p.m. ET
Venue: Hard Rock Stadium — Miami Gardens, FL
Coverage: ESPN

With the 2022-23 college football regular season in the rearview mirror, bowl games are right around the corner. The Orange Bowl is set for kickoff on Friday, Dec. 30, and pits the No. 6 Tennessee Volunteers against the No. 7 Clemson Tigers. It will be Clemson's seventh appearance at the Orange Bowl and Tennessee's fifth.

Tennessee finished the regular season with a 10-2 record, but a late loss to South Carolina kept the Volunteers from playing in the SEC Championship Game. Meanwhile, Clemson also finished 10-2 and capped off its success with a 39-10 win over North Carolina in the ACC Championship Game.

Tennessee vs Clemson Odds & Spread

All NCAAF betting lines, odds and prop bets are from FanDuel Sportsbook.
Moneyline: TENN: (+210) | CLEM: (-260)
Spread: TENN: +6.5 (-110) | CLEM: -6.5 (-110)
Total: 64.5 — Over: (-105) | Under: (-115)

Clemson enters this contest as a notable favorite on the moneyline and spread. This clash also features a total of 64.5 points, which is above average when compared to the rest of the college football bowl slate.

Tennessee vs Clemson Prediction & Pick

Tennessee's season truly took a turn when starting quarterback Hendon Hooker went down with a gruesome knee injury in Week 12. Backup Joe Milton was unable to mount a comeback against South Carolina, but the good news is that he looked improved against Vanderbilt (11-of-21, 147 yards, 1 touchdown).

That kind of effort is not going to be enough to beat Clemson, though. The Tigers have been stellar on defense, allowing 20.8 points (No. 16 in FBS) on 328.8 total yards per game (No. 21 in FBS). They have been especially great against the run, allowing just 100.8 rushing yards per contest (No. 9 in FBS).

Clemson is 18-2 straight up in its last 20 games as a favorite, so I trust the Tigers to earn a victory.

Final Score Prediction: Tennessee: 24 | Clemson: 34

Tennessee vs Clemson Betting Trends

- Tennessee is 9-3 against the spread (ATS) this season.
- The total has hit the over in seven of Tennessee's 12 games this season.
- Clemson is 7-6 ATS this season.
- The total has hit the over in seven of Clemson's 13 games this season.

Tennessee vs Clemson Best Bet

Without Tennessee having much of an opportunity to establish a ground game in this one, pressure is going to be put on Milton to lead the team. That's a lot to ask of a QB used to playing with no pressure in the ending sequences of blowouts. Clemson's experience playing in big bowl games will shine here.

The Tigers are 10-0 against the spread (ATS) in their last 10 games played in December, while the Volunteers are just 2-9 straight up in their last 11 games in December. Keep in mind that six of Clemson's last eight bowl game wins have come by at least a touchdown, too. Back head coach Dabo Swinney to rattle off another win here.

Bet: Clemson Tigers -6.5 (-110)

Larry Rupp is not a FanDuel employee. In addition to providing DFS gameplay advice, Larry Rupp also participates in DFS contests on FanDuel using his personal account, username phillyfan424. While the strategies and player selections recommended in his articles are his personal views, he may deploy different strategies and player selections when entering contests with his personal account. The views expressed in their articles are the author's alone and do not necessarily reflect the views of FanDuel. 

Game odds refresh periodically and are subject to change.