The No. 20 Clemson Tigers (17-4, 6-3 ACC) will attempt to continue their nine-game home winning streak in a matchup against the No. 19 North Carolina Tar Heels (16-6, 5-4 ACC) at Littlejohn Coliseum. The Over/Under (O/U) for the game has been set at 146 points with neither team favored. Tip-off is scheduled for 7 p.m. ET on Tuesday, January 30, 2018.
North Carolina Tar Heels vs. Clemson Tigers ATS Preview
In the Tar Heels last game, they were beaten by the North Carolina State Wolfpack, 95-91. With 31 points on 12-for-23 shooting, Luke Maye was the top scorer from either team. North Carolina State had a turnover percentage of 9.7 (better than their season average of 14.4). North Carolina, on the other hand, held the Wolfpack to an offensive rebounding percentage of 28.3 (below their season average of 36.1).
The Tigers will look to keep it rolling after edging the Georgia Tech Yellow Jackets in their last contest, 72-70. Marcquise Reed had a good outing for Clemson, finishing with 13 points, 11 assists and five rebounds. Clemson dominated nearly every facet of the game. They had a fantastic offensive rebounding percentage of 39.4 (above their season average of 26.1) and a turnover percentage of 9.6 (better than their season average of 16.8). For those same stats, Georgia Tech was 28.6 and 13.0, respectively.
Second-chance opportunities might be scarce for Clemson in this contest. The Tigers currently rank 261st in offensive rebounding percentage (26.7 percent), while North Carolina ranks 21st in defensive rebounding percentage (76.4 percent). Furthermore, the Tar Heels rank 47th in offensive efficiency (113.1), while the Tigers rank 45th in defensive efficiency (96.4).
Of North Carolina’s 21 games with betting action, 11 have finished over the O/U total, while 9 of Clemson’s 18 games have finished over the O/U total. Looking at straight up (SU) and against the spread (ATS) records, the Tigers have a sizable advantage. They are 17-4 SU and 10-7-1 ATS, while the Tar Heels are 16-6 SU and 9-9-3 ATS.
These teams have already met once this season. The two teams combined for 166 points in that game, which was well over the projected point total of 147. The Tar Heels won 87-79, covering as 8-point favorites. The Tar Heels played a nearly flawless game. They had an absurd free throw rate of 0.392 and a fantastic effective field goal percentage of 0.657. The Tigers were 0.250 and 0.580, respectively, for those same stats. Theo Pinson had a standout performance in the victory, producing 12 points, seven rebounds and six assists.
North Carolina Tar Heels vs. Clemson Tigers Free Prediction
Prediction: SU Winner – Clemson, ATS Winner – Clemson, O/U – Under
Betting Notes:
- The Tigers rank 135th in three pointers allowed per game (21.7) while the Tar Heels rank 279th (27.0).
- On the road, North Carolina is 4-6-1 ATS with 8 unders and 3 overs.
- Clemson is 7-1 ATS at home with 5 unders and 3 overs.
- Clemson ranks 36th in assists allowed per game (11.2) while North Carolina ranks 203rd (15.0).
- The Tigers rank 17th in blocks per game (5.4) while the Tar Heels rank 166th in blocks allowed per game (4.5).
- North Carolina ranks first in rebounds per game (43.4) while Clemson ranks 150th (35.6).
Betting Trends:
- Clemson is 2-2-1 ATS with 3 overs and 2 unders in their last five games.
- Over their last five games, North Carolina is 0-3-2 ATS with 3 overs and 2 unders.
- The Tigers have been outscored by an average of 2.6 points in their last five games. On the season, Clemson has defeated opponents by an average of 9.6 points.
- During their last five games, the Tar Heels have scored an average of 79.2 points per game (3.3 below their season average) and allowed an average of 77.6 points per game (4.9 above their season average).
