It’s a rematch of last season’s ACC Championship Game on Saturday as Virginia Tech faces Clemson – neither team can much afford another conference loss if it hopes to return to Charlotte this December.

The Tigers are 8.5-point favorites on Vegassportsbetting.com.

The Tigers have won two straight since a crushing loss at Florida State. Clemson had last week off and last played Oct. 6 in beating Georgia Tech 47-31, Clemson’s fourth game this season with at least 40 points. QB Tajh Boyd had a career night, throwing for 397 yards and two TDs. He also ran for 63 yards and a score on 15 carries.

DeAndre Hopkins had 173 yards receiving on seven catches and two touchdowns, Andre Ellington ran for 82 yards on 24 carries, and Clemson ran 93 plays to just 60 for Georgia Tech. The Tigers are averaging more than 525 yards and 41 points this season, surpassing their averages from a year ago when the team broke numerous school offensive records.

Clemson (5-2, 2-1) starts the second half of the season against what had been one of their difficult opponents in the Hokies, who had won five straight in the series before 2011. But last season, Clemson had a pair of dominating victories over Virginia Tech.

Virginia Tech has been a big disappointment so far this season but does enter off a 41-20 win over Duke last week – the Blue Devils led the game 20-0.

Hokies QB Logan Thomas threw two touchdown passes, freshman J.C. Coleman ran for 183 yards and two long touchdowns, and the Hokies (4-3, 2-1 Atlantic Coast Conference) played well in all three phases of the game for the first time all season.

Clemson has a 19-12-1 lead in the series with Virginia Tech. Clemson’s 23-3 victory on October 1, 2011 ended Virginia Tech’s five-game winning streak in the series. Clemson had not defeated Virginia Tech since 1989 prior to the victory at Blacksburg last year. The Tigers then defeated Virginia Tech 38-10 in the ACC Championship game in Charlotte last year.

It marked the first time Clemson had beaten the same team twice in one year. So after not defeating Virginia Tech since 1989, the Tigers outscored the Hokies 61-13 in the two games in 2011.

Vegas trends: Under is 5-1 in the last 6 meetings. Hokies are 5-2 ATS in their last 7 meetings. Underdog is 4-0 ATS in their last 4 meetings.

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