The Clemson Tigers (12-6) travel to play the No. 13-ranked Virginia Cavaliers (13-4) in what should be a low-scoring game. Action begins at 8:00 pm ET on Tuesday, Jan. 19 and can be seen on EFC and ES3.
The Cavaliers are hoping to rebound after their 69-62 loss to Florida State on Sunday. London Perrantes was the game’s leading scorer with 19 points. The Tigers, meanwhile, are coming off a 76-65 win against Miami (FL) on Saturday. Jaron Blossomgame was the game’s top scorer, registering 25 points on 9-for-15 shooting.
Jordan Roper has been hot for the Tigers, averaging 12.0 points, 2.6 rebounds, 6.4 assists, 2.6 steals, and 2.0 three-pointers over the past five games.
Half-court execution will be of utmost importance when two of the nation’s slowest-paced teams square off. Virginia ranks 349th in possessions per game (61.7), while Clemson is 346th (63.3).
This one isn’t expected to be close when Virginia, a substantial 10-point favorite, takes on Clemson. According to the oddsmakers, the Over/Under (O/U) is currently 122 points. The Cavaliers come into this game 13-4 Straight Up (SU) and 7-8 Against The Spread (ATS). The Cavaliers are one of the best in Division I in terms of field-goal percentage, shooting an impressive .398 from beyond the arc. Virginia is one of the most disciplined teams in the nation with an assist-to-turnover ratio of 1.62. Opposing teams know they’re in for a battle when they play Virginia’s stingy defense. The Cavaliers are one of the top teams when it comes to defense, allowing just 61.2 points per game.
Over on the other bench, the Tigers have 12-6 SU and 9-5 ATS records. The Tigers are the better of the two teams when it comes to assist-to-turnover ratio, ranking 44th in Division I at 1.35. Moving on to the Clemson defense, the Tigers allow just 62.4 points per game, ranking them 17th in the nation.
These conference foes meet for what will be their first head-to-head battle of the season. Virginia won the last game in the matchup, bumping its SU record to 6-4 over Clemson in their most recent meetings. The teams are even ATS, with a 5-5 record. Virginia held the edge in field goals, rebounds, and three-pointers once, while Clemson was never able to do so in their most recent five games.
Predictions: SU Winner – Clem, ATS Winner – Clem, O/U – Under
Notes
Virginia is 2-5 ATS in its last 7 games.
Virginia is 12-3 SU in its last 15 games.
Virginia is 5-0 SU in its last 5 games at home.
The total has gone UNDER in 5 of Virginia’s last 7 games at home.
Virginia is 5-2 SU in its last 7 games when playing Clemson.
Virginia is 5-0 SU in its last 5 games when playing at home against Clemson.
Virginia scores an average of just 73.2 points per game (ranked 186th). Clemson ranks 17th in points allowed, giving up 62.4 points per game.
Clemson scores just 69.2 points per away game (ranked 180th). Virginia ranks 20th in points allowed at home, giving up 58.6 points.
Ranked 86th, the Clemson Tigers have an offensive rating of 110.3. The Virginia Cavaliers rank 109th with a defensive rating of just 98.9.
Virginia has the 20th-ranked average field goal percentage at 49.1%. Clemson has not won a game this season when opponents have a similar or higher field goal percentage (0-3).
The Virginia Cavaliers rank higher based on their field goal percentage (20th) than their effective field goal percentage (34th). The Clemson Tigers rank higher based on their effective field goal percentage (144th) than their field goal percentage (196th).
The 10th-ranked team in the category, Virginia has an assist-to-turnover ratio of 1.62 this season. Clemson ranks 44th with an A/TO of 1.35.
Clemson makes an average of 5.4 steals per game. Virginia has a stellar 6-2 record when it allows at least 5 steals.
