After dominating Notre Dame and Alabama to the tune of 74-19 in last season’s college football playoffs (beating market expectations by almost 50 points!), the Clemson Tigers are expected to dominate the Atlantic Coast Conference and college football again in 2019.

Clemson kicks off its season Thursday night as exorbitant favorites over outmanned Georgia Tech (ACC Network, 8 p.m.). VSiN wanted to talk about the Tigers today because they may not play any real “marquee” matchups until the playoff. Barring surprising developments, Clemson will be double-digit favorites every time it takes the field.

It’s expected to be a down year in the ACC. Market win totals show Virginia Tech and Miami as the second- and third-best teams in the league. Clemson misses both in league play.

Clemson’s toughest opponent looks to be Texas A&M next week. That’s a home game. And while many in the media complain about the non-conference cupcakes scheduled by SEC powers, Clemson will host Charlotte and Wofford this year in virtual scrimmages.

It’s not just a manageable schedule. It would be manageable even if the team suffered a slew of injuries. Dabo Swinney’s roster once again is loaded with talent. Handicapping the Tigers’ games will be more about evaluating when he’ll call off the dogs rather than team skill sets or situational dynamics. Once Clemson settled on a starting quarterback in 2018, the Tigers won their last seven ACC games by margins of 20, 29, 32, 34, 49, 60 and 61 points (going from low to high).

Thursday’s point spread against Georgia Tech — currently 36 at William Hill — should close near the middle of that range. It might not be enough. Tech lost more than half of its starters on both sides of the ball and has a new head coach (Geoff Collins) charged with leading the program away from predecessor Paul Johnson’s option-based attack. Could there be a worse way to start a transition?

Don’t forget, Clemson outgained Notre Dame 538-248 and put almost 500 total yards on Alabama with everything on the line on neutral fields. This year’s team is expected to be better! Georgia Tech may feel like Wofford before halftime.

VSiN’s best advice for bettors is to use Thursday’s matchup to evaluate Georgia Tech. Markets often have trouble catching up or catching down to transitional programs. If a new head coach brings enthusiasm and spark, his team can surprise oddsmakers and sharps out of the gate. More often, players must relearn how to walk before they can run. The Yellow Jackets may be fade material for weeks if Clemson crushes their optimism.

Clemson in 2019 is a known quantity. Georgia Tech is not. Betting smart means attacking the market where it’s most vulnerable. Uncertainty about Tech creates a window of opportunity that may be open for several weeks.

Is Clemson so good you should bet it on the futures board to win the national championship? Oddsmakers aren’t offering any value to that approach. Even if Clemson is the right pick, it won’t pay off at true odds.