Two top-10 squads square off in the 2022 Orange Bowl when No. 6 Tennessee faces No. 7 Clemson.

Tennessee brings the No. 1 scoring offense (47.3 ppg) in the nation into the Orange Bowl to face off against the country’s No. 18 scoring Clemson defense (20.1 ppg). The Volunteers’ impressive numbers were thanks in part to the production of quarterback Hendon Hooker (3,135 passing yards; 32 total touchdowns).

However, Hooker, leading wideout Jalin Hyatt (67 receptions, 1,267 receiving yards, 15 touchdowns) and slot receiver Cedric Tillman (417 receiving yds, three touchdowns) have all opted out of the game.

Tennessee is 8-2 straight-up (SU) and 7-3 against the spread (ATS) over its last 10 games and finished the regular season in uneven fashion. Over the last month of action, the Volunteers suffered crippling losses at No. 1 Georgia, 27-13, as 9.5-point road underdogs, as well as a 63-38 blowout defeat to No. 19 South Carolina as 23.5-point road favorites.

Clemson went 8-2 SU and 6-4 ATS over its final 10 games of the regular season and heads into the showdown with the Volunteers off a dominant 39-10 win over North Carolina in the ACC Championship Game as a seven-point favorite. Sandwiched in between three wins was a one-point loss against South Carolina as a 14-point home favorite. The Tigers outscored opponents by an impressive margin of 140-67 over the final four games of the regular season.

Spread: Tennessee +4.5 (-118) | Clemson -4.5 (-110)Moneyline: Tennessee (+160) | Clemson (-213)Total: 63.5– Over (-110) | Under (-118)Public (Spread) Betting Percentages: TEN 66% | CLE 34%Game Info: Dec. 30, 2022 | 8 p.m. ET | ESPNLocation: Hard Rock Stadium | Miami Gardens, Fla.Editor’s Note - Odds are subject to change

Tennessee Straight-Up Record: 10-2Tennessee Against the Spread Record: 9-3

Clemson Straight-Up Record: 11-2Clemson Against the Spread Record: 7-6

Bet on Tennessee-Clemson at SI Sportsbook

The line has bounced around since opening in favor of Clemson as a 5.5-point favorite at SI Sportsbook before settling with the Tigers as only 4.5-point favorites.

The Volunteers will be led by senior quarterback Joe Milton, who has played well in limited action this season by completing 63% of his passes to go along with seven touchdowns and zero interceptions. Milton’s job will be extremely difficult without two of the top receiving weapons in Hyatt and Tillman.

Josh Heupel will lean heavily on a ground attack led by Jaylen Wright and Jabari Small, who have combined for 24 total touchdowns this season while anchoring the nation’s 20th-ranked run game averaging 205.8 yards per game.

ACC champion Clemson will be led by freshman Cade Klubnik, who takes over for DJ Uiagalelei (transfer portal) under center.

The Tigers have one of the best tailbacks in Will Shipley, who topped 100-plus rushing yards in a game five times this season. The talented sophomore has rushed for 1,110 yards and 15 touchdowns, while adding the third-most receptions (34) on the club. Expect Shipley to play a pivotal role in Friday’s showdown.

Respected money in Vegas is backing a Dabo Swinney-led offense which is clicking on all cylinders despite starting a freshman signal-caller. Klubnik finds a favorable matchup against a porous Tennessee pass defense ranked 127th in the country by allowing 286.7 passing yards per game. After winning the ACC Championship Game, the Tigers are poised for a second consecutive big effort against a Volunteer offense that is simply missing too many key offensive weapons.

2022 SI Betting NCAA Football: 14-14-3 ATS 2021 SI Betting NCAA Football: 14-12 ATS 2020 SI Betting NCAA Football: 32-21 ATS

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Frankie Taddeo is a successful high-stakes fantasy football player who created the first-ever DFS program ever offered in a Las Vegas sportsbook. Frankie is SI Betting's Senior Analyst and provides his significant experience and resources in the sports betting scene. You can follow Frankie on Twitter @Frankie_Fantasy for his latest betting and fantasy insights from Las Vegas.

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