The No. 1 Virginia Cavaliers (29-2, 18-1 ACC) clash against the No. 19 Clemson Tigers (23-8, 12-7 ACC) in the Atlantic Coast Conference Tourney at Barclays Center. The game starts at 7 p.m. ET on Friday, March 9, 2018, and will air on ESPN2.
Virginia opened as a 7-point favorite, while the game’s Over/Under (O/U) has been set at 118 points.
Clemson Tigers vs. Virginia Cavaliers ATS Prediction
The Tigers come in on a high note after beating the Boston College Eagles in their last matchup, 90-82. The Tigers had a solid turnover percentage of 8.9 (better than their season average of 16.0) and had an offensive rebounding percentage of 32.4 (above their season average of 27.4). With 25 points on 8-for-18 shooting, Gabe DeVoe was the top scorer from either team.
The last time the Cavaliers played, they were victorious over the Louisville Cardinals, 75-58. The Cavaliers, who came into the game averaging an offensive rebounding percentage of 27.2, had a phenomenal mark of 35.7 and had an effective field goal percentage of 0.585 (above their season average of 0.529). Kyle Guy was the game’s high scorer with 19 points on 7-for-14 shooting.
This battle pits one of the NCAA’s top offenses against one of its elite defenses. Virginia ranks 58th in offensive efficiency and Clemson ranks 38th in defensive efficiency.
Clemson comes into the game with records of 23-8 straight up (SU) and 15-11-1 against the spread (ATS). Of the Tigers’ 27 games that accepted bets, 14 have finished under the O/U total.
Meanwhile, Virginia owns records of 29-2 SU and 18-9 ATS. Of the Cavaliers’ 27 games that accepted bets, 20 have finished under the O/U total.
Both teams have had a player take their game to the next level over their last five games. Elijah Thomas (13.4 points, 9.2 rebounds and 2.0 blocks) has been stellar for the Tigers while Ty Jerome (14.2 points and 3.6 assists) has made solid contributions to the Cavaliers.
This will be the second game of the season between these two teams. In the first, Devon Hall scored a game-high 14 points and the Cavaliers beat the Tigers 61-36, covering as 9.5-point favorites. He also had five rebounds. The game finished with a total of 97 points, which was 22.5 points below the projected point total of 119.5 points. The Cavaliers had a much better turnover percentage (15.6 vs. 28.0) and had a much better offensive rebounding percentage (29.0 vs. 18.8).
Clemson Tigers vs. Virginia Cavaliers Free Pick
Free College Basketball Pick: SU Winner – Virginia, ATS Winner – Clemson, O/U – Under
Notes
Betting Notes:
Clemson ranks 129th in three pointers attempted per game (22.6) while Virginia ranks 247th (19.0).
The Tigers rank 139th in rebounds per game (35.6) while the Cavaliers rank 253rd (32.6).
Virginia ranks 42nd in blocks allowed per game (2.7) while Clemson ranks 150th (3.7).
The Cavaliers rank second in steals allowed per game (3.9) while the Tigers rank 78th (5.7).
Virginia allows the fewest assists per game (8.7) while Clemson ranks 27th (11.2).
Bettings Trends:
In their last five games, Clemson is 1-4 ATS with 4 unders and 1 over.
Virginia is 2-3 ATS with 3 unders and 2 overs over their last five games.
The Tigers’ average margin of victory in their last five games has been 3.8, down from 7.9 for the season.
During their last five games, the Cavaliers have scored an average of 67.0 points per game (0.5 below their season average) and allowed an average of 54.4 points per game (1.5 above their season average).
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