Today’s college basketball betting slate is loaded, but this ACC matchup between No. 22 Virginia and No. 12 Clemson should be one of the highlights. At the moment, the Cavaliers are tied for first in the conference, but the 9-1 Tigers can change that here.
This game tips on Saturday, January 16 at 6:00 p.m. ET at the Littlejohn Coliseum in Clemson, South Carolina. The Tigers haven’t yet lost a home game this season, but that might not mean all that much against a well-coached Cavaliers group. Keep reading for our Virginia vs. Clemson picks and predictions!
Virginia Cavaliers at Clemson Tigers Betting Preview
Key Injuries
Virginia: Austin Katstra F (questionable), Kadin Shedrick F (questionable), Kody Stattmann G (out).
Clemson: John Newman III G (questionable), Hunter Tyson F (out) .
Find our latest NCAA basketball injury reports.
Betting Trend to Know
The Under is 5-0 in Virginia’s last five games as a road favorite. Find more NCAA betting trends for Virginia vs. Clemson.
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Against the Spread (ATS) Pick
The Cavaliers have flown under the radar this season, but the reality is that this team has been pretty darn good when not facing Gonzaga. Virginia lost by 23 against Mark Few’s team earlier in the year, but that was one of just two blips on the schedule — with the other being a disappointing loss to San Francisco. Despite the Cavaliers’ struggles with the WCC, they’re currently the 13th-ranked team in adjusted defensive efficiency (all efficiency stats from KenPom.com). And their offense isn’t exactly holding them back, as they’re 32nd in the nation there.
Clemson is actually the top-ranked team in adjusted defensive efficiency, but the Tigers are just 72nd in the country on offense. That’s where they’ll run into problems tonight. While it’s excellent that Clemson is coming out and playing great defense on a nightly basis, it’s just hard to imagine anybody beating Virginia at its own game. The Cavaliers have been winning with Tony Bennett’s pack-line defense and blocker mover offense for years — although Bennett has experimented with a five-out offense this year. This group is at its best in slow, grind-it-out games, and that means that Virginia knows exactly what to expect here.
Also, the Cavaliers have played three games since the Tigers last took the floor. Clemson’s meeting with North Carolina on January 9 was postponed, so the Tigers could be a little rusty for this one. And Virginia is 16-6 ATS in road games over the last three seasons.
PREDICTION: Virginia -1.5 (-110)
Over/Under Pick
There will be quite a few solid offensive players on the floor in this game, as Virginia has guys like Sam Hauser, Kihei Clark, Trey Murphy III and Jay Huff, while Clemson has both Aamir Simms and Nick Honor. However, the style these two teams like to play means we won’t really get to see those guys showing what they can do. This game is going to be all about defense and controlling the ball, and both teams will be committed to valuing every possession.
That’s why this total is so absurdly low, and that tends to be for a reason. So, while this number might seem a bit ridiculous, it’s best to just go with it. These teams met twice last season, with the first meeting (in Clemson) seeing 106 total points scored and the second (in Virginia) having just 95.
PREDICTION: Under 116.5 (-110)
Virginia vs Clemson Betting Card
- Virginia -1.5 (-110)
- Under 116.5 (-110)
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