The SMU Mustangs can clinch a spot in the College Football Playoff when they square off against the 17th-ranked Clemson Tigers in the 2024 ACC Championship Game on Saturday at Bank of America Stadium in Charlotte, N.C. With a win, the Mustangs (11-1) would advance to the 12-team playoff as the conference's champion. But if SMU, which is No. 8 in the latest CFP rankings, were to lose, the Mustangs would be at the mercy of the CFP selection committee for an at-large spot and likely find themselves in a résumé battle against Alabama. Clemson, a three-loss team, needs a win and the automatic bid that comes with being a top-five conference champion to make the field. 

Kickoff is 8 p.m. ET. The Mustangs are 2.5-point favorites in the latest SMU vs. Clemson odds, while the over/under for total points scored is 55.5. (See up-to-date odds for every game this week on our college football odds page.)

Before making any Clemson vs. SMU picks or college football predictions, you NEED to see the predictions from the SportsLine Projection Model.

The model simulates every FBS college football game 10,000 times. Since its inception, it has generated a profit of over $2,000 for $100 players on its top-rated college football picks against the spread. It is also coming off a profitable 13-9 season on top-rated spread picks. Anyone who has followed it has seen strong returns.

The model knows that SMU has been stingy against the run this season. Led by multiple defenders who transferred in the offseason, the Mustangs lead the conference and rank fourth in the country in rushing yards allowed per game (95.8). They also are third in the nation in yards allowed per carry (2.80), behind only Ole Miss and Indiana.

But the model also has taken into account that Clemson has a playmaker behind center in Cade Klubnik. The 6-foot-2, 210-pound junior from Austin, Texas, has thrown 29 touchdowns this season, which ranks fourth in the country. He also averages 289.8 yards of total offense per game, which ranks 12th in the nation.  

For Saturday, the model has set its sights on SMU vs. Clemson. We can tell you it is leaning Over the total, and it also says one side of the spread hits in over 60% of simulations. You ABSOLUTELY need to see it before locking in any college football picks.

Who wins Clemson vs. SMU? And which side of the spread hits in over 60% of simulations? ... Join SportsLine right now to find out which side of the SMU vs. Clemson spread you should be all over Saturday, all from the model on a roll on college football picks!