The No. 3 seeded Clemson Tigers (23-9) face the No. 2 seeded Virginia Cavaliers (24-6) in the semifinals of the ACC Tournament! Action tips off at 9:30 p.m. ET. Below we continue our College Basketball odds series with a Clemson-Virginia prediction, pick, and how to watch.
Clemson blew out NC State in the quarterfinals after going 14-6 in the ACC regular season. The Tigers covered 55% of their games while 63% went over the projected point total. Virginia handled North Carolina after finishing 15-5 in the ACC. The Cavaliers covered 39% of their games while 50% went over. This will be the second meeting of the season between the conference foes. Virginia came away with a 64-57 home win at the end of February.
Here are the Clemson-Virginia college basketball odds, courtesy of FanDuel.
College Basketball Odds: Clemson-Virginia Odds
Clemson: +2.5 (-102)
Virginia: -2.5 (-120)
Over: 126.5 (-110)
Under: 126.5 (-110)
How To Watch Clemson vs. Virginia
TV: ESPN2
Stream: ESPN+
Time: 9:30 p.m. ET/ 6:30 p.m. PT
*Watch college basketball LIVE with fuboTV (click for a free trial)*
Why Clemson Could Cover The Spread
Clemson was one of the biggest surprises in the conference after they were picked to finish 11th in the preseason media poll. The Tigers went 9-3 in the non-conference schedule despite a relatively easy slate. While they did suffer bad losses to South Carolina and Loyola Chicago, Clemson managed wins over Penn State and Richmond. They rolled that success over into a hot ACC start, winning 10 of their first 11 games. While they did have a slight blip that saw them lose four of five games (including to last-place Louisville), the Tigers bounced back to finish third in the conference. They have solid ratings within the advanced metrics, slotting in at No. 52 in KenPom and No. 51 in NET. Even with that, Clemson needs a win tonight to ensure a spot in the big dance as they currently project as one of the Last Four out of the NCAA Tournament.
Clemson is a solid two-way team who ranks in the top 100 in the country in both points per game and points allowed. They are a strong passing team on offense, averaging 14.5 APG. Additionally, the Tigers are highly efficient on that end of the floor thanks to their 26th-ranked team field goal percentage. Defensively, the Tigers do a good job of forcing opponents into tough shots. Opponents shoot the 17th-lowest percent from the floor against Clemson and they rarely allow second-chance points.
The Tigers are led by a pair of upperclassmen. Senior Hunter Tyson leads the team with 15.5 PPG and 9.6 RPG in addition to shooting 41% from three. While he was inefficient in their first meeting with Virginia, Tyson did finish the game with 17 points and nine rebounds. Beside him, center PJ Hall chips in 15.5 PPG and 5.5 RPG. The 6'10” junior is a similarly lethal threat from beyond the arc, shooting 41% from three. Hall torched the Cavaliers' defense just two weeks ago, scoring 19 points on 69% shooting.
Why Virginia Could Cover The Spread
Virginia continued its reign of excellence in the ACC this season after a stellar non-conference slate. The Cavaliers went 9-1 out of conference, picking up big wins over Baylor and Illinois and losing a tight game to Houston. While they got off to a 2-2 start in the ACC, the Cavaliers battle back and finished near the top of the conference. Virginia has not fared as well as in years past within the advanced metrics as they currently sit at No. 34 in KenPom and No. 29 in NET. Even so, the Cavaliers are comfortably in the field as they project as a No. 4 seed in the NCAA Tournament.
Virginia is led by their elite defense. The Cavaliers allow the seventh-fewest points per game in the country thanks to their patented pack-line defense. Virginia possesses a number of capable defenders, particularly down low. As a team, their 8.2% block rate is the 25th-highest in the country. They also do a good job cleaning up the defensive glass, holding the 37th-best defensive rebound rate. Offensively, the Cavaliers don't score a ton of points but they are remarkably efficient. Virginia holds the best assist-to-turnover ratio in Division-1 and their 66% assisted field goal percentage ranks third.
The Cavaliers feature a balanced offensive attack with three players averaging between 11 and 13 points per game. Senior Armaan Franklin leads the team with 12.6 PPG while serving as a 38% three-point shooter. Fellow senior Jayden Gardner averages 11.9 PPG but he has been especially productive of late with 16+ points in four of his last five games. Finally, five-year starter Kihei Clark is the conductor of their efficient offense with 11 PPG and 5.6 APG.
Final Clemson-Virginia Prediction & Pick
Clemson is playing for their tournament lives tonight and thus I expect a motivated Tigers offense to do just enough to cover in what should be a tightly-contested affair.
Final Clemson-Virginia Prediction & Pick: Clemson +2.5 (-102)
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