Clemson is 12-6 both straight up and against the spread in the postseason, including conference and national championship games, under coach Dabo Swinney.

Notre Dame is 4-3 SU and 3-4 ATS in the postseason under coach Brian Kelly. In the first of the two College Football Playoff semifinals, the Tigers tangle with the Irish in the Cotton Bowl.

College football point spread: The Tigers opened as 10.5-point favorites, according to sportsbooks monitored by OddsShark. (Line updates and matchup report)

College football betting pick, via OddsShark computer: 45.8-31.0 Tigers (College football picks on every game)

Why the Notre Dame Fighting Irish can cover the spread

Notre Dame opened this season with a 24-17 victory over a good Michigan team, and that game wasn't as close as that score might indicate.

The Irish jumped out to a 14-0 lead and didn't let the Wolverines get back within one score until just two minutes remained.

Notre Dame proceeded to win out from there, beating seven other teams that also made bowls this season to secure its first-ever berth in the CFP.

The Irish concluded the regular season with a 24-17 victory at USC. They spotted the Trojans the first 10 points of the game then used a 24-0 run to take control.

Notre Dame outgained eight of its last nine opponents and outrushed six of its last eight foes. The Irish are also now 8-0 SU and 6-1-1 ATS with junior Ian Book as the starter at quarterback this season, averaging 37 points per game.

Why the Clemson Tigers can cover the spread

Clemson also ran its table this season, beating 10 teams that eventually made bowls. The Tigers won at what turned out to be a pretty good Texas A&M team 28-26 in Week 2 and later won a tough game against a good Syracuse outfit in Week 5.

Clemson then really got rolling, winning its last eight games, including the ACC championship tilt against Pittsburgh, by an average score of 50-12.

The Tigers let the Panthers stick within 14-10 in that conference championship game then scored the last 28 points to secure their fourth straight ACC title and cover as four-touchdown favorites.

Clemson outgained every opponent except one and outrushed every opponent except one during the season.

The Tigers are 9-0 SU and 6-3 ATS on the college football odds, averaging 47 points per game since inserting freshman Trevor Lawrence as the starter at quarterback. They're also 5-1 ATS this season when favored by three touchdowns or fewer.

Smart betting pick

These teams played three common opponents this season; Clemson beat Florida State, Syracuse and Wake Forest by an average score of 50-12, while Notre Dame beat the Seminoles, Orange and Demon Deacons by an average score of 45-14.

These two teams might be a little closer than the spread on this game indicates. The Tigers might still win this game outright, but the smart money takes the Irish and the points.

College football betting trends

Notre Dame is 13-0 SU in its last 13 games.

Notre Dame is 5-0 SU and 4-1 ATS in its last five games against the ACC.

The total has gone over in six of Notre Dame's last eight games in December.

All college football odds and betting trends according to Bleacher Report's official odds partner, OddsShark. Check out OddsShark on Twitter and Instagram or head to YouTube for more betting picks and analysis on this week's top games. You can also download the free odds tracker app.