The Clemson Tigers (15-10) square off against the Boston College Eagles (7-18) at Bon Secours Wellness Arena. Action starts at 7:00 pm ET on Wednesday, Feb. 17 and will air on EFC and ES3.
The Tigers beat Georgia Tech 66-52 on Saturday. Jaron Blossomgame was the game’s leading scorer with 17 points on 5-for-16 shooting. The Eagles, meanwhile, are feeling some disappointment after their 75-61 loss at the hands of Syracuse on Sunday. Matt Milon led the game in scoring with 25 points.
Half-court execution will be of utmost importance when two of the nation’s slowest-paced teams square off. Clemson ranks 346th in possessions per game (63.7), while Boston College is 280th (67.1). Moreover, foul-shooting opportunities could prove to be quite rare for the Eagles. They are 345th in the nation in FTA rate (27.2), while the Tigers are among the nation’s least foul-prone teams (allowing a rate of just 28.8, ranking 35th in the country).
The Tigers enter the game with records of 15-10 Straight Up (SU) and 13-8 Against The Spread (ATS). Clemson has averaged 54.7 points per game over the last 10 games, lower than its season average of 69.6. Turning to the defensive side, the Clemson defense has been very good, only giving up 63.6 points per game. Opponents have consistently had their shots rejected by the Tigers, ranking 20th in the country in blocks per game with 5.4. Clemson has given up very few turnovers with an average of only 10.5 per game.
On the other side, the Eagles have 7-18 SU and 6-13-1 ATS records. Most recently, Boston College is 7-3 ATS over the last 10 games. During the last 10 games, they averaged 69.2 PPG, above their 61.7 PPG season average.
This game marks the first time these teams will play this season. The last time Clemson and Boston College played, Clemson won, bringing its SU record to 6-4 over Boston College in their most recent games. The teams have an even record ATS, 5-5. When it comes to field goals, rebounds, or three-pointers, neither team was able to hold the advantage in all three of these categories over their past five meetings against one another.
Predictions: SU Winner – Clem, ATS Winner – Clem
Notes
“Clemson is 10-3 ATS in its last 13 games “.
“Clemson is 8-4 SU in its last 12 games “.
“The total has gone UNDER in 4 of Clemson’s last 6 games “.
“Clemson is 6-1 ATS in its last 7 games at home”.
“Clemson is 6-1 SU in its last 7 games at home”.
“The total has gone UNDER in 4 of Clemson’s last 6 games at home”.
“Clemson is 12-5 ATS in its last 17 games when playing Boston College”.
“Clemson is 8-4 SU in its last 12 games when playing Boston College”.
“The total has gone UNDER in 4 of Clemson’s last 6 games when playing Boston College”.
“Clemson is 7-2 ATS in its last 9 games when playing at home against Boston College”.
“Clemson is 8-1 SU in its last 9 games when playing at home against Boston College”.
“The total has gone UNDER in 6 of Clemson’s last 8 games when playing at home against Boston College”.
Boston College averages 61.7 points per game, placing the team just 252nd in the nation. Clemson ranks 15th in points allowed, giving up 63.6 points per game.
The Clemson Tigers have a defensive rating of 99.6 (ranked 95th), while the Boston College Eagles have an offensive rating of 91.9 (ranked 342nd).
The Clemson Tigers average a field goal percentage of 43.3% this season. The Boston College Eagles have a subpar record of 1-13 when opponents have a FG% of 43.3% or greater.
The Clemson Tigers and the Boston College Eagles both rank higher in average effective field goal percentage when compared to their field goal percentages. Clemson is 222nd and 190th in the nation for FG% and eFG% respectively, while Boston College is 304th and 270th in these categories.
Clemson ranks 77th in the nation with an assist-to-turnover ratio of 1.23. Boston College is ranked lower at 254th with an A/TO of .94.
The Clemson Tigers average 5.7 steals per game. When giving up 5 or more steals, the Boston College Eagles have an abysmal record (5-16) this season.
