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FedEx Cup Betting Update

Winner Take All in the Tour Championship?

If you've been following my FedEx Cup Playoffs articles over the past month, you'll know that of the “Big 5” in golf garnered a lot of attention early, and we've still got the three of them that have yet to win a FedEx Cup playoffs title – Jason Day, Dustin Johnson, Rory McIlroy – all entering the TOUR Championship in 6th place or better and with a great chance to win.

Dustin Johnson leads the way, and is now listed at +150 to win the playoffs, thanks to a dominating victory at the BMW Championship a week ago. He was listed at +500 to win it all before the four tournaments started, so bettors who were smart enough to take a chance on “DJ” then have to be loving their position.

Dustin Johnson is clearly the favorite to win the playoffs now and he still has a mathematical chance of winning the entire playoffs by finishing 29th of 30 golfers this week at the TOUR Championship.

Clearly that's not what DJ is aiming for this week, but anything in the top-five – pending who's ahead of him – should give him the title.

He's looking to end the 2016 season on a high note after what has been arguably his best all-around season on tour to date.

A win at the TOUR Championship would give him the FedEx Cup going away, but he's not the only one who can win the playoffs with a victory this week.

There are four other golfers who can claim the FedEx Cup outright with a win at the TOUR Championship. Those names include Patrick Reed (+800), Adam Scott (+600), Jason Day (+450), and Paul Casey (+1000).

Aside from those four, everyone else must win this tournament and then hope the rest of the leader board falls in the right scenario for them.

There are some like Jordan Spieth (+1000), Rory McIlroy (+450), Russell Knox (+4000), and others in the top-15 of FedEx Cup points that can realistically get it done, but it's very interesting to see the likes of McIlroy have better odds than three of the four above him in the standings when he NEEDS to win the TOUR Championship, while the others can claim the title without a victory this week.

However, the playoffs look to be the icing on the cake for Dustin Johnson's 2016 campaign. The +150 odds still present a little bit of value in terms of a wager here, especially when Johnson can go out and open the tournament relaxed, knowing there is no cut and he's just got to keep pace with those that are chasing him.

He's got four days to get hot and have at least one good round where it puts him where he needs to be on the leader board, and I believe he gets it done.

There is minimal pressure in the sense that there are only four other guys out there that can beat him directly with a win and while they are all tremendous players, 2016 was the year Johnson captured his first major, and it will be the year he captures his first FedEx Cup playoffs trophy.

TOUR Championship

Tournament: TOUR Championship
Date: Thursday, September 22nd
Venue: East Lake Golf Club
Location: Atlanta, GA

Only 30 golfers will be teeing off when the world’s best compete in the TOUR Championship on Thursday.

This is the final tournament of the year and Dustin Johnson currently finds himself at the top of the FedExCup standings. If Johnson were to win on Sunday then he’d be crowned the 2016 champion.

Patrick Reed, Adam Scott, Jason Day and Paul Casey are other guys that could win the FedExCup with a victory on Sunday.

Spieth is the guy that came in and won this thing last year, shooting a nine-under to defeat Danny Lee, Justin Rose and Henrik Stenson by four strokes apiece.

Phil Mickelson is the only golfer in the field that has won this event twice, as he came away victorious in 2000 and 2009.

Tiger Woods has the best score ever shot in this tournament, as he put up a 23-under when he won in 2007.

With that out of the way, let’s take a look at some of the best values to win on this 7,154-yard course this weekend:

Golfers to Watch

Jordan Spieth (9/1) - Jordan Spieth would need some help in order to come away from this season as the FedExCup champion, but look for him to make things very interesting in this one. Spieth has played this course as well as anybody in recent years, winning in 2015 and losing by only three strokes in 2013. He is very familiar with the lay of the land here and will be hoping that muscle memory kicks in when he tees off on Thursday. Spieth knows that he has underperformed this season, but the fact that he is still in contention speaks volumes as to how good of a golfer he is. He has all of the talent in the world and putting a few units on him at 9/1 could pay off huge. Spieth badly wants to be a FedExCup champion and it’s unlikely that he’ll disappear in this one.

Jason Day (15/2) - Jason Day can earn himself a FedExCup championship with a win on Sunday and there is just no way that he fails to put up a fight in this tournament. Day is the most consistent golfer on the TOUR, which can be proven by his top spot in the OWGR. He did, however, withdraw from the BMW Championship due to a back injury. That is really the only reason to doubt Day coming into this tournament, but he represents a great value if he is to be healthy when this thing gets started on Thursday. Day has finished inside the top-five in two of the past three events he has completed and will be out to be named a champion on Sunday. Monitor this situation closely, as Day is worth a few units at 15/2 if he plays on Thursday.

Phil Mickelson (30/1) - As previously mentioned, Mickelson is the only golfer in this field to have won this tournament twice in his career. And while he might be a bit older than the other competitors in this event, Mickelson has played some very good golf this season. If it weren’t for an otherworldly performance from Henrik Stenson then Mickelson would have been the winner at The Open. He also has five other top-five finishes on the season. At 30/1, backing a golfer that has so much success at this course is something that could really pay off. Mickelson will be hungry to prove that he can still win a big tournament as well.

Kevin Kisner (80/1) - When looking for a dark horse to win this tournament, Kevin Kisner is somebody that really sticks out. Kisner finished 17th in the OWGR in 2015, but he is only 32nd this season. This has been a bit of a disappointing season for the golfer, but he can really change some things with a big win over the weekend. Kisner is a very talented golfer and he is capable of going out and tearing up any course he plays on. That hasn’t been the case this season, but he should bounce back next year and this is a great chance for him to pick up some momentum heading into the offseason. Putting a half-unit on him at 80/1 could be a great decision, as he knows he can make a splash by stealing this event.

Odds to win TOUR Championship -

Dustin Johnson 9/2
Rory McIlroy 5/1
Jason Day 17/2
Adam Scott 9/1
Jordan Spieth 9/1
Patrick Reed 15/1
Paul Casey 15/1
Bubba Watson 25/1
Hideki Matsuyama 25/1
Brandt Snedeker 30/1
J.B. Holmes 30/1
Jimmy Walker 30/1
Matt Kuchar 30/1
Phil Mickelson 30/1
Emiliano Grillo 35/1
Russell Knox 35/1
Charl Schwartzel 40/1
Daniel Berger 40/1
Gary Woodland 40/1
Ryan Moore 40/1
Kevin Na 50/1
Justin Thomas 55/1
Kevin Chappell 60/1
Si Woo Kim 60/1
Roberto Castro 65/1
Kevin Kisner 80/1
Jason Dufner 85/1
William McGirt 95/1
Jhonattan Vegas 100/1
Sean O'Hair 100/1

Odds Subject to Change

10 to Watch: Tour Championship
By Tom LaMarre, The Sports Xchange

1. Dustin Johnson, United States -- Johnson is the Tour Championship and FedEx Cup favorite of the oddsmakers and just about everyone else after winning three of his last nine tournaments - including the U.S. Open at Oakmont, the WGC-Bridgestone Invitational at Firestone and the BMW Championship at Crooked Stick in his last outing. By winning the third event of the playoffs, he took the lead in the FedEx Cup standings and he also is second in the World Golf Rankings, thanks to 14 finishes in the top 10, the most on the PGA Tour this season. Johnson is making his seventh start in the Tour Championship and placed in the top 10 in the last three, tying for 10th in 2012, finishing fifth the following year and closing with a 64 last year at East Lake to tie for fifth, five strokes behind winner Jordan Spieth.

2. Adam Scott, Australia -- The only player who has finished in the top 10 in all three playoff events this year, Scott is third in the FedEx Cup standings, so he would take home both trophies if he wins the Tour Championship. He already has a victory at East Lake, having won in 2006, leading much of the way by posting four scores in the 60s to beat Jim Furyk by three strokes the year before the PGA Tour went to its playoff system. The Aussie is making his 10th start in the finale and has three other tops 10s, a tie for seventh in 2005, a tie for sixth in 2011 and a tie for ninth last year. Scott has finished fourth in all three playoff events, but hasn't won since capturing the Honda Classic and WGC-Cadillac Championship on consecutive weeks earlier this season.

3. Patrick Reed, United States -- At second in the point standings, Reed is one of five players guaranteed to take home the FedEx Cup with a victory this week in the Tour Championship. He won the playoff opener, The Barclays, then tied for fifth in the Deutsche Bank Championship and tied for 13th in the BMW Championship. Reed has 11 results in the top 10 this season while rising to No. 6 in the World Golf Rankings and making the U.S. Ryder Cup team for the second straight time ahead of the matches against Europe next week at Hazeltine. He is making his third appearance in the Tour Championship, but has yet to really get the hang of East Lake, having tied for 19th in 2014 and finished 27th last year, playing his eight rounds in a total of 18-over-par.

4. Jordan Spieth, United States -- The defending champion of the Tour Championship and the FedEx Cup will need some help from the players ahead of him if he is to steal away with both trophies again because he ranks seventh in the point standings. Spieth wrapped up a brilliant season a year ago when he carded four scores of 69 or better and claimed his fifth victory of 2016 by four strokes over Henrik Stenson, Justin Rose and Danny Lee. That came after he missed the cut in the first two playoff events, but he built such a big lead earlier that it didn't matter in the long run. Spieth, who also tied for seventh at East Lake in 2013, actually has played better in the first three rounds of the playoffs this year as he tied for 10th in The Barclays, tied for 21st in the Deutsche Bank Championship and finished ninth in the BMW Championship.

5. Jason Day, Australia -- The top-ranked player in the World Golf Rankings is back for the Tour Championship after withdrawing after eight holes in the final round of the BMW Championship because of chronic back injury. The withdrawal knocked him out of the running for the 2016 Vardon Trophy, given to the player with the lowest stroke average on the PGA Tour, but he still can claim the FedEx Cup if his back is right with a victory at East Lake because he is fourth in the point standings. Day, who has three victories this season including the Players Championship, is making his sixth start in the Tour Championship and has never finished outside the top 20. Among those results were a tie for sixth in 2011, a tie for a tie for fourth in 2014 and a tie for 10th last year.

6. Paul Casey, England -- If an Englishman was going to make a run for the FedEx Cup, almost everyone would have figured it would be Olympic gold medalist Justin Rose, who surprisingly didn't even make it into the 30-man field for the Tour Championship. Casey is the biggest surprise to come into the finale in the top-five in the point standings, which means he can take home both trophies if he wins the tournament. His only PGA Tour victory came in the Shell Houston Open and his career has been short-circuited by injuries, but he finished second behind Rory McIlroy in the Deutsche Bank Championship and was the runner-up again in back of Dustin Johnson in the BMW Championship, the last two playoff events. Casey has a good history at East Lake, tying for fourth in 2010 and tying for fifth last year.

7. Rory McIlroy, Northern Ireland -- After winning the Deutsche Bank Championship in week two of the FedEx Cup playoffs, Rory tied for 42nd in the BMW Championship and slipped out of the top five in the point standings by one spot. That means he will need help to claim the Cup, even if he wins the finale at East Lake. He skipped the FedEx Cup playoffs several times a few years ago, but has played well in the Tour Championship with a tie for 10th in 2012, a tie for second in 2014 and a tie for 16th last year, when he faded out of the top five in the final round with a 74 in the final round. McIlroy was tied for the 54-hole lead with eventual FedEx Cup winner Billy Horschel two years ago before closing with a 71 to finish three shots back.

8. Phil Mickelson, United States -- Even though he and Tiger Woods are the only two-time winners of the Tour Championship, Lefty has never taken home the FedEx Cup. He beat runner-up Woods by two strokes in 2000, but that was seven years before the PGA Tour added its playoff schedule. In 2009, he won it again by finishing three shots ahead of Woods, who again finished second, but Tiger had enough points to win the FedEx Cup and they shared the stage on the final green at East Lake. Mickelson is making his 14th start in the season finale, but he has only three other results in the top 10, the best a tie for third in 2008. He is 13th in the point standings and will need plenty of help to take home the FedEx Cup, even with a third victory at East Lake, as his best result in the playoffs was a tie for 13th in The Barclays.

9. Emiliano Grillo, Argentina -- One of two rookies in the 30-man field of the Tour Championship, Grillo is No. 9 in the FedEx Cup standings and probably will wrap up the PGA Tour's Rookie of the Year award if he finishes ahead of No. 18 Si Woo Kim of South Korea, the other first-year player. The Argentine won the Web.com Tour Championship a year ago and then followed it up in his next start by becoming the first player since Russell Henley to win in his first start on the PGA Tour when he captured the Frys.com Open to start the 2015-16 season. He has only one other top-10 finish, a tie for second behind Patrick Reed in The Barclays to open the playoffs, but has posted nine results in the top 25 and tied for eighth at Rio de Janeiro in the Olympic Games, which is considered an unofficial event.

10. Bubba Watson, United States -- Bubba is ranked seventh in the World Golf Rankings, but is only 24th in the FedEx Cup standings and amazingly might need a victory in the Tour Championship to earn the final spot on the U.S. Ryder Cup team, which will be picked by captain Davis Love on Sunday night. The two-time Masters champion won the Northern Trust Open in March and was second in the WGC-Cadillac Championship in his next start, but does not have a top-10 finish since, unless you count a tie for eighth in the Olympics. Watson tied for 13th in The Barclays to start the playoffs, but missed the cut in the Deutsche Bank Championship before tying for 20th in the BMW Championship. In six previous starts at East Lake, his only results in the top 10 were two ties for fifth, in 2012 and again last year.

Clemson at Georgia Tech
By Joe Nelson

Louisville grabbed headlines last week with a dominant win and next week’s showdown with Clemson will be one of the biggest games of the season. Clemson must first fend off a surging Georgia Tech team in Thursday’s battle of 3-0 squads. Here is a look at the Thursday night ACC matchup to start the fourth week of the college season.

Match-up: Clemson Tigers at Georgia Tech Yellow Jackets
Venue: Bobby Dodd Stadium in Atlanta, Georgia
Time/TV: Thursday, Sep. 22, 7:30 PM ET
Line: Clemson -9½, Over/Under 57
Last Meeting: 2015, at Clemson (-7½) 43, Georgia Tech 24

The ACC went 12 years without a BCS Championship participant until Florida State won the final BCS Championship game after the 2013 season. Clemson made it to College Football Playoff game last season and the conference is growing in stature with Louisville’s statement win last week drawing a lot of attention. Clemson will take on the Cardinals next week at home setting the stage as potentially a deciding game in the ACC Atlantic and possibly the College Football Playoff bid pictures. That is assuming the Clemson can get by a Georgia Tech team that has shown clear improvement so far in 2016.

Coming off last season’s 14-1 campaign that ended with a five-point loss in the College Football Playoff Championship, Clemson entered this season as one of the favorites in the national picture. Junior quarterback Deshaun Watson entered the season as a clear Heisman Trophy contender and the expectations for the offense were very high with the bulk of the key players returning from a squad that posted over 38 points and 515 yards per game last season.

Clemson has reached 3-0 including a road win at Auburn but the scoring has been limited, managing just 19 points in the opener and then barely sneaking by Troy in the home opener with a 30-24 win. Against FCS South Carolina State last Saturday the Tigers scored 31 points in the first quarter en route to a 59-0 win, but the statistics for Watson have been disappointing with three interceptions already this season and just a 57 percent completion rate.

Wayne Gallman rushed for over 1,500 yards last season yet he hasn’t topped 200 yards through three weeks as the Tigers have only gained 4.2 yards per rush this season after averaging 4.9 last season. After missing last season due to injury, junior Mike Williams leads the Tigers with 15 receptions, but he is yet to find the end zone this year while 2015’s leading receiver Artavis Scott has had a quiet start with only 129 receiving yards while also being without a touchdown.

While the offense has perhaps underachieved so far this season the defense that entered the season with some question marks has impressed. Clemson only returned a couple of starters from last season’s ACC Championship team and lost five of last season’s top six leading tacklers. Clemson is 11th in the nation in scoring defense led by an impressive showing in the opener at Auburn holding a formidable offensive team to just 13 points and 262 total yards.

With a 3-0 start, Georgia Tech has already matched the program’s win count from last season’s ugly 3-9 campaign. After winning the ACC Coastal and giving undefeated Florida State a great battle in the 2014 ACC Championship, the Yellow Jackets had a disastrous follow-up season despite opening the year as a top 20 team on the heels of an Orange Bowl victory the previous winter.

After posting 69 and 65 in a 2-0 start last season, Georgia Tech lost nine of the final 10 games while going 1-7 in ACC play. The lone win in that run was a big one, however, beating then #9 and undefeated Florida State at home and six of the losses came by a single-score. This year’s team opened the season in Ireland, scoring a comeback win over Boston College. A modest 35-10 win over FCS Mercer followed and last week Georgia Tech gained some notice with a thoroughly dominant 38-7 win over Vanderbilt.

As usual, the Georgia Tech triple-option has produced some of the best rushing numbers in the nation with the Yellow Jackets compiling 257 rushing yards per game despite facing two games vs. formidable defensive teams. It has been Georgia Tech’s improved defensive numbers that will be worth watching, currently surrendering just 10 points per game while routinely allowing 25+ points per game on average in most of the Paul Johnson era. Clemson should be by far the best offense that Georgia Tech has faced this season and last season the Tigers posted big numbers in a 43-24 win in this matchup.

That game was the fourth straight loss for Georgia Tech and the yardage totals painted an even more dominant result than the score as Clemson had a 537-230 advantage with the Yellow Jackets held to a season low 71 yards rushing. Clemson rose to #5 in the nation after that win and never looked back, falling just short of a perfect season.

When these teams last met in Atlanta in 2014, Georgia Tech won 28-6 with Clemson’s offense shut down for just 190 total yards. Watson was hurt early in that game as Cole Stoudt was ineffective for the Tigers, but it was the second most lopsided defeat in a 49-8 S/U run for Dabo Swinney since the start of the 2012 season. Two Georgia Tech touchdowns came on interception returns of 85 and 62 yards, but Georgia Tech did put up 353 yards of offense against one of the nation’s best defensive teams in that game. The Tigers allowed just 261 yards per game on average in 2014, actually featuring far better defensive numbers than last season’s near championship squad.

Historical Trends: Clemson is 15-8 ATS vs. Georgia Tech sine 1994 though they are just 11-12 S/U in that run. Since 2008 when both Swinney and Johnson took over their respective programs, the series is knotted at 4-4 S/U with Georgia Tech holding a 5-3 ATS edge and the win in the biggest meeting, the 2009 ACC Championship game. Clemson is 26-42-2 ATS as a road favorite since 1990 including going 10-14 ATS under Swinney. The Tigers are 2-7 ATS as a road favorite since the start of the 2014 season but they lost S/U just once in that run, at Georgia Tech.

Georgia Tech is on a 6-11 ATS run as a home underdog going back to late in the 2003 season, but they have won outright in two of three instances the past two seasons. This spread projects to be the biggest home underdog spread for the Yellow Jackets since hosting Miami in 2004. Swinney is 15-0 S/U on the road since the start of the 2014 season, while Johnson is 39-16 S/U in Atlanta. Swinney’s first game as the head coach of Clemson was a 21-17 defeat at home vs. Georgia Tech in the middle of the 2008 season.

NCAAF Game of the Day: Clemson at Georgia Tech

No. 3 Clemson Tigers at Georgia Tech Yellow Jackets (+9.5, 58)

Third-ranked Clemson survived two weeks of underachieving before returning to its dominant ways last week, and the Tigers can’t afford another subpar effort when they travel to Georgia Tech for an ACC showdown Thursday night. The Tigers put their 18-game regular-season winning streak on the line as they aim for their first victory at Georgia Tech since 2003.

No coach relishes a short week – Clemson coach Dabo Swinney and Georgia Tech’s Paul Johnson lamented the lost days of preparation – but it could be especially tough on the Tigers as they prepare to face the Yellow Jackets’ option attack. “It’s a difficult turnaround for us – and them. It’s hard for both teams to get ready really in three days,” Swinney told reporters. “Georgia Tech is always an incredibly difficult team to prepare for, but even more so when you’ve got a short week to get ready.” Clemson rolled up 537 total yards in a 43-24 home victory over Georgia Tech a year ago, a game the Yellow Jackets would like to forget. “We don’t talk about last year, other than the fact that they beat the fool out of us,” Johnson told reporters. “We just have to play better. I think we’re a little better than we were a year ago. We’ll see if they’re better or the same.”

TV: 7:30 p.m. ET, ESPN.

LINE HISTORY: Clemson opened this game as double digit road faves at -10, but early action came in on Georgia Tech, moving the line to Clemson -8.5. Since then the line has bounced back to the Tigers, sitting currently at Clemson -9.5.

Meanwhile, the total opened at 57 and has been bet up one point to sit at the current number of 58.

INJURY REPORT:

Clemson - DE A. Bryant (questionable Thursday, foot), LB B. Boulware (questionable Thursday, ankle), CB A. Baker (questionable Thursday, knee), DB B. Dawkins (questionable Thursday, knee), OL C. Reeves (questionable Thursday, knee), WR H. Renfrow (out Thursday, hand).

Georgia Tech - DL J. Woods (questionable Thursday, upper body), OL T. Klock (questionable Thursday, ankle), OL J. Stickler (questionable Thursday, undisclosed).

WEATHER REPORT: Weather shouldn't be much of a factor for this ACC showdown. The forecast is calling for partly cloudy skies, with a very slight 12 percent chane of rain and a five to six mile per hour wind blowing across the field from east to west.

WHAT SHARPS SAY: "Clemson head coach Dabo Swinney will have his hands full trying to keep his Tigers focused on Georgia Tech Thursday night with a showdown with Louisville on tap next week. Meanwhile, the Yellow Jackets hope to improve on a dismal 1-3 SU and ATS record in their last four games in this series. Swinney will remind his team that Clemson’s last road loss was here in a 28-6 defeat in 2014." - Marc Lawrence.

ABOUT CLEMSON (3-0, 1-2 ATS, 0-3 O/U): After squeaking out six-point wins in their first two games, the Tigers routed South Carolina State 59-0 last week and put up predictably impressive numbers in the process, outgaining the Bulldogs 555-102. Heisman Trophy candidate quarterback Deshaun Watson (692 passing yards, seven touchdowns, three interceptions) hasn’t done much damage on the ground thus far, and running back Wayne Gallman (197 rushing yards, two TDs) has managed 74 yards over the past two games after rushing for 123 in the opener against Auburn. Clemson’s defense has picked up where it left off last year and ranks eighth nationally in total defense (250 yards per game) and 11th in scoring defense (12.3 points per game).

ABOUT GEORGIA TECH (3-0, 1-0-1 ATS, 0-1-1 O/U): Following a defensive struggle in a 17-14 victory over Boston College to open the season, the Yellow Jackets’ option attack has been in high gear the past two games, rolling up 955 yards in lopsided wins over Mercer and Vanderbilt. Quarterback Justin Thomas (169 rushing yards, one touchdown; 335 passing yards, one TD) is the catalyst for the offense, though running back Dedrick Mills (126 yards, four TDs) also has done some damage and Clinton Lynch (116 yards on nine carries) is a big-play threat. The Yellow Jackets have allowed 305 total yards per game but have been a bend-don’t-break unit, giving up only 10.3 points per game – seventh-fewest in the nation.

TRENDS:

* Home team is 6-0 ATS in their last six meetings.
* Georgia Tech is 1-7 ATS in its last eight games versus a team with a winning record.
* Under is 5-0 in Clemson's last five games in September.
* Under is 4-1-1 in the last six meetings at Georgia Tech.

CONSENSUS: Bettors are laying the chalk in this ACC matchup, with 62 percent of wagers on Clemson. When it comes to the total, 59 percent of wagers are on the Over.

Preview: Tigers (3-0) at Yellow Jackets (3-0)

Date: September 22, 2016 7:30 PM EDT

Thanks to third-ranked Louisville's 63-20 demolition of Florida State on Saturday, many college football followers already have the Cardinals' Oct. 1 date at No. 5 Clemson circled as a potential elimination game for one of the four College Football Playoff spots.

However, Dabo Swinney's Tigers still have one big obstacle before entering that contest undefeated.

Georgia Tech.

Don't laugh. Sure, the Yellow Jackets (3-0) are just midway down in the "Others Receiving Votes" section of this week's Associated Press Top 25 poll despite an impressive 38-7 victory over Vanderbilt on Saturday. And Clemson (3-0), the national runner-up to Alabama a year ago, opened as a 11-point favorite for the nationally televised Thursday night contest.

But Bobby Dodd Stadium has not been too kind recently for the Tigers, who haven't defeated Georgia Tech in Atlanta since 2003, or star quarterback Deshaun Watson, who sustained a knee injury playing there his freshman season.

"We've got a tough task ahead with an undefeated Georgia Tech team in Atlanta," Swinney said. "But we're looking forward to it."

Clemson is 3-0 for the third time in four years, while Georgia Tech already matched its win total from a year ago when it finished 3-9, but both teams are relatively unknown quantities.

The Tigers were unimpressive in victories against unranked Auburn (19-13) and Troy (30-24) to open the season, then learned precious little about themselves in a 59-0 demolition of South Carolina State last week.

Georgia Tech carved its 3-0 start out of victories against unheralded Boston College, Mercer and Vanderbilt.

Watson is looking forward to taking his team to Tech again, despite rekindling the memory of the 2014 injury. He partially tore his anterior cruciate ligament early in the game, though he wasn't even hit on the play.

The Tigers went on to lose 28-6, their most recent regular-season defeat.

"It was just one of those weird things that kind of happen," Watson said. "I have flashbacks about that play. Of course, it's going to pop up in my mind, but it won't be anything too serious."

To a man, Clemson's players say they are not looking past Georgia Tech and toward the potential showdown with Louisville -- an approach that should be expected given the Tigers' five consecutive defeats at the hands of the Yellow Jackets in Atlanta.

Yet the Tigers are don't lack confidence.

"If we do our job and play Clemson ball, everything should take care of itself," Watson said.

The contest will serve as a measuring stick for the Yellow Jackets. Through three games, the Georgia Tech offense has started to look more like its old self. The option has been effective and the drives have been long and sustained. But the question remains: How good are the Yellow Jackets really?

That will be answered this week. If Georgia Tech can move the ball effectively against the Tigers, it could have something special.

"We've gotten better each game," Georgia Tech coach Paul Johnson said. "We'll have to get way better because this is the best team we've played by a mile."

Georgia Tech is averaging 397.7 yards per game, 257.3 of that on the ground. But the Clemson defense ranks eighth in the nation in total defense (250 yards per game) and gives up just 92 yards rushing.

Johnson said his team's offense is better than it showed in 2015 but hasn't yet approached the high standards set in 2014. He added, "I think we have the potential to get where we were in '14."

That is possible if quarterback Justin Thomas continues to play as he did in the win over the Commodores. Thomas threw for 136 yards and one touchdown and rushed 11 times for 84 yards.

"We still have some issues, but from Game One to this point, we're night-and-day a lot better," Thomas said. "People are communicating more, coming off the ball better and as a whole we're starting to click. Got to keep getting better each week and not have any setbacks."

Thomas has been around long enough to know that Clemson will provide a reality check. This will be his third start against the Tigers -- he led Tech to the victory in 2014, but got pummeled 43-24 last year at Death Valley, rushing 14 times for 3 yards. He also threw for 159 yards and two touchdowns but was intercepted once and sacked twice. That was Georgia Tech's low point for the season.

"It's going to be a huge week," Thomas said. "We've got to dial it in."

ACC Report - Week 4
By Joe Williams

2016 ACC STANDINGS

Team SU Conference ATS Over/Under

Boston College 1-2 0-2 1-1-1 1-2
Clemson 3-0 0-0 1-2 0-3
Duke 1-2 0-1 1-2 0-3
Florida State 2-1 0-1 1-1 2-0
Georgia Tech 3-0 1-0 1-0-1 0-1-1
Louisville 3-0 2-0 3-0 3-0
Miami (Fla.) 3-0 0-0 3-0 2-1
North Carolina 2-1 0-0 2-1 2-1
North Carolina State 2-1 0-0 2-1 2-0-1
Pittsburgh 2-1 0-0 0-3 2-1
Syracuse 1-2 0-1 1-2 1-2
Virginia 0-3 0-0 1-1-1 0-2-1
Virginia Tech 2-1 1-0 1-2 2-1
Wake Forest 3-0 1-0 1-2 1-2


Clemson at Georgia Tech (Thurs. - ESPN, 7:30 p.m. ET)
Clemson finally jump-started its flagging offense in a 59-0 whitewash of FCS South Carolina State, gaining confidence ahead of its first league game against the Yellow Jackets. The Tigers head to Bobby Dodd Stadium as 10-point favorites looking to end a 6-0 ATS run by home teams in this series. The favorite is 5-2 ATS in the past seven meetings. Neither side has a very good mark against the number lately, as the Tigers are 4-10 ATS in their past 14 ACC games, and 2-7 ATS in their past nine road outings. The Ramblin' Wreck are 2-9-1 ATS in their past 12 games overall, 1-7 ATS in their past eight against teams with a winning record and 0-3-1 ATS in their past four ACC outings. The under is 4-1-1 in the past six meetings in this series in Atlanta.

NCAAF

Thursday’s games

Home team won last seven Clemson-Georgia Tech games; Tigers lost last five visits here, with last win at Tech in 2003. Jackets had only 71 rushing yards in LY’s loss at Clemson, after having 242+ in previous seven series games. Clemson won its two I-A games this year by 6 points each, with 19-13 win at Auburn; they’re 2-7 in last nine games as a road favorite. Tech ran for 289 yards in big win over Vanderbilt LW after struggling to beat BC in Ireland. Jackets are 6-6 as home underdogs under Johnson.

Tech Trends - Week 4
By Bruce Marshall

Thursday, Sept. 22

Matchup Skinny Edge

CLEMSON at GEORGIA TECH...GT 2-10 vs. spread last 21 on board since early 2015. Paul Johnson was 6-0 as dog in 2014 but only 1-2 in role LY. Dabo no covers first two TY and 2-6 last 8 vs. line in reg season, also 2-7 as visiting chalk since 2014.

Slight to Georgia Tech, based on extended trends.

NFL Opening Line Report: Key injuries are the main factor heading into Week 3
By PATRICK EVERSON

Injuries are clearly going to be a factor for oddsmakers in Week 3 of the NFL season. We talk about a few of this week’s opening lines with Peter Childs, risk management supervisor, and Jason Simbal, vice president of risk management for CG Technology in Las Vegas.

Houston Texans at New England Patriots (+2.5)

The injury bug bit New England at the worst possible position – quarterback. Jimmy Garoppolo, subbing while Tom Brady serves his four-game Deflategate suspension, suffered an injury to his right (throwing) shoulder in Sunday’s 31-24 home victory over Miami as a 5.5-point favorite.

Worse still, the Patriots (2-0 SU and ATS) are working on a short week, playing in the Thursday night contest. The Pats had to finish Sunday’s win with rookie Jacoby Brissett at QB, and wideout Julian Edelman was the emergency QB.

Meanwhile, Houston (2-0 SU and ATS) held off visiting Kansas City 19-12 Sunday as a 1-point underdog.

Because of New England’s QB situation, Childs opened Houston at -2.5 and expects that number might head up.

“Wow. This is the line we had to adjust the most, with Garoppolo going down and third-stringer Jacoby Brissett making his first start,” Childs said. “He looked awful coming off the bench, and now he has to face a very good Texans defense led by J.J. Watt. Good luck, Jacoby!

“We opened Texans -2.5, and I have a feeling we’ll be getting to them as a solid 3-point favorite sooner rather than later.”

CG also hung a line of Texans -2.5 at its sportsbooks, including The Cosmopolitan, M and Venetian.

“With the Patriots having questions at quarterback and likely no Rob Gronkowski, they are home ‘dogs,” Simbal said.

Opening Line Report - Week 3
By Marcus DiNitto

There are three games on the NFL’s Week 3 card that could easily show up again during the AFC playoffs: Texans at Patriots, Broncos at Bengals, and Jets at Chiefs. The NFC slate, meanwhile, is dotted with several key division battles, as well as intra-conference showdowns featuring the Vikings at Panthers and Bears at Cowboys.

Here are Week 3 betting lines, with early moves and differences between Las Vegas sports books noted. Numbers are the Las Vegas consensus as of Sunday night at about 11 p.m. ET.

Thursday, Sept. 22

Houston Texans (-2.5/-120) at New England Patriots

With rookie Jacoby Brissett expected to start for Jimmy Garoppolo, the Patriots open in the unfamiliar role of home underdogs. If the spread holds, it will be the first time New England catches points in Foxboro since it hosted the Broncos in November 2014.

The change from Garoppolo to Brissett has a huge impact on the betting line.

“If Garoppolo was healthy, we’d probably be looking at (New England) -4.5,” said Ed Salmons, oddsmaker at the Westgate Las Vegas SuperBook.

While one school of thought says Bill Belichick’s Patriots are just fine no matter who plays quarterback, Salmons stresses Brissett’s lack of experience and the short week to prepare.

“It’s going to be difficult for him,” he said.

Salmons, meanwhile, isn’t quite sold on the Texans.

“They’re decent defensively, but Chicago led that (Week 1) game and let it get away, and Kansas City – as crappy as they played last week and got that lucky win (against the Chargers) – they made sure they didn’t win (Sunday). They really played a bad game. I mean, they turned the ball over and just played really stupid football.”

Early bettors, though, backed the Texans, grabbing opening numbers of -1.5 (CG Technology) and -2 (Westgate).

NFL Week 3 line watch: The Buffalo Bills are in big trouble
By AAA SPORTS

Each week during the pro football season, Art Aronson of AAA Sports looks at the NFL odds and tells you which spread to bet now, which one to bet later, and which total to watch as the week plays out.

Game to wait on

Houston Texans at New England Patriots (+2.5)

Lots to look here as the Texans play their first road game of the year. New England will have had only a few days to get third-string rookie QB Jacoby Brissett up to speed in the wake of Jimmy Garoppolo’s shoulder injury. And what happens if Brissett goes down? Also, will Rob Gronkowski play? What about LB Dont’a Hightower, whose absence was clearly felt last Sunday in the second half against Miami? If the Patriots plan on a light workload for Brissett and hope to run the ball with workhorse LeGarrette Blount (29 carries/123 yards vs. the Dolphins), be advised the Texans are more than pretty good against the run. If you like NE in this one, at 2.5 it might be a good idea to hold on until just before kickoff to see if Texans money pushes the number to 3.

NFL Week 3 lines that make you go hmmm...
By PETER KORNER

It’s hard to believe we’re already heading into Week 3 of the NFL season – a point in which books and bettors get a tighter grasp on the league’s 32 teams. Longtime Las Vegas oddsmaker Peter Korner sizes up this week’s NFL schedule and picks out some of the lines making him go “hmmmm…” in Week 3:

Houston Texans at New England Patriots (+1, 40.5)

Pointspreads are nothing more than an attempt to equal out the betting action. They neither tell us how much a team is going to win by, let alone, who’s going to win. We all know there are a variety of factors that lead to a line’s opening and closing. One of the most important in any sport is health.

Thursday’s game between Houston and New England will be a good one. New England’s drama at the quarterback position continues with the Patriots using their third-string QB Jacoby Brissett. Although he proved more than capable of sustaining a 21-point lead last Sunday, the fact remains the offense was limited and Miami was able to take advantage.

The line opened at Houston -1.5 and quickly rose to -2.5 before the sun set in Nevada, eventually settling around Texans -1. Bettors took advantage of the low figure knowing that the Patriots would be at a distinct disadvantage with few days to prepare. This will not be about Brissett’s ability to memorize plays, but the limited time he has to get his timing down with receivers and the offensive line.

What’s holding the line down is New England’s ability to keep the “W’s” coming. That early perception, in light of the Pats’ success, is that it’s to your advantage to step in and take the road favorites as early as you can.

New England is playing a tough game of patchwork against a very strong defensive team that is capable of scoring enough points to take this one. A key factor to fear would be the return of Rob Gronkowski, but be that as it may, there’s value with Houston in this spot and believers should take the number before it goes up again.