FSU football enters Clemson Tigers matchup as slim underdog

The Florida State Seminoles will play their third road game of the 2025 season on Saturday night.

Nov 1, 2025; Tallahassee, Florida, USA; Florida State Seminoles head coach Mike Norvell during the first quarter against the Wake Forest Demon Deacons at Doak S. Campbell Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Melina Myers-Imagn Images / Melina Myers-Imagn Images

The Florida State Seminoles responded on Saturday night. It wasn't just a win, it was a dominant showing from the Seminoles as they handled Wake Forest with relative ease, pulling away in the second half.

In a season of wacky results for Florida State, the trend continued. Winners of three straight games entering Doak Campbell Stadium, Wake Forest posted a season-low seven points while allowing a season-high 42 points.

The Seminoles didn't look like a team that had dropped four straight outings, including inexplicable losses to Stanford and Pittsburgh. Back at .500, there's a legitimate opportunity for Florida State to salvage the campaign and make it to the postseason.

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Standing in FSU's way is a tough stretch as three of the final four games of the regular season will fall on the road, starting with a date against the Clemson Tigers in Death Valley this weekend.

2025 has not unfolded the way Clemson expected after beginning the year in the top 5. The Tigers are 3-5 and dropped four of their last six games, including a 46-45 heartbreaker to Duke at home on Saturday.

Clemson is only 1-4 at home but the Seminoles are 0-2 on the road, meaning Vegas isn't quite sure how this game will unfold.

FSU Taking On Underdog Role Ahead Of Clemson Trip

Nov 1, 2025; Tallahassee, Florida, USA; Florida State Seminoles quarterback Tommy Castellanos (1) celebrates a touchdown during the second half against the Wake Forest Demon Deacons at Doak S. Campbell Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Melina Myers-Imagn Images / Melina Myers-Imagn Images

According to Circa Sports, Florida State is a slim underdog entering Saturday night. The Seminoles opened as a +2.5-point underdog on the sportsbook, with the Over/Under set at 58.5 points.

The Seminoles are 4-4 against the spread this season, failing to cover in the losses to Virginia, Miami, Pittsburgh, and Stanford. This is the third game where Florida State has opened as an underdog. The program defeated Alabama 31-17 but lost to Miami 28-22.

FSU won its most recent trip to Clemson in 2023, taking down the Tigers in overtime, 31-24, after coming back from two double-digit deficits.

Head coach Dabo Swinney's squad is led by veteran quarterback Cade Klubnik. Though he missed a game due to injury, Klubnik has completed 160/238 passes for 1,915 yards with 13 touchdowns to five interceptions. He's added 51 rushes for 116 yards and two more scores.

Regardless of the recent results, expect Death Valley to be rocking.

Florida State and Clemson will kick off at 7:00 p.m. on Saturday, November 8. The contest will be televised on the ACC Network.

Game odds refresh periodically and are subject to change.

If you or someone you know has a gambling problem and wants help, call 1-800-GAMBLER.

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READ MORE: Updated ACC availability report for FSU football vs. Wake Forest

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