The Clemson Tigers take on the BYU Cougars in New York, NY, in the Jimmy V Classic. Tip-off is set for 6:30 p.m. ET on ESPN.
BYU is favored by -6.5 points on the spread with a moneyline of -280. The total is set at 152.5 points.
Here’s my Clemson vs. BYU prediction and college basketball picks for December 9, 2025.
Clemson vs BYU Prediction
My Pick: BYU -6.5 (Play to -8)
My Clemson vs BYU best bet is on the Cougars to cover the spread. For all of your college basketball bets, be sure to find the best lines by using our live NCAAB odds page.
Clemson vs. BYU Odds
| Clemson Odds | ||
|---|---|---|
| Spread | Total | Moneyline |
+6.5 -110 | 152.5 -110o / -110u | +230 |
| BYU Odds | ||
|---|---|---|
| Spread | Total | Moneyline |
-6.5 -110 | 152.5 -110o / -110u | -280 |
- Clemson vs BYU spread: BYU -6.5
- Clemson vs BYU over/under: 152.5 points
- Clemson vs BYU moneyline: Clemson +230, BYU -280
Clemson vs BYU College Basketball Betting Preview
Clemson Basketball
Clemson is off to a 7-2 start this season, with its lone losses coming in road battles to Alabama and Georgetown.
The common denominator in the two losses is the Tigers' defense struggling mightily. Georgetown poured in 1.13 PPP against them and a short-handed Alabama squad scored 1.25 PPP.
Also of note, the Tigers sent Alabama and Georgetown to the foul line 30+ times, and they both shot better than 50% from inside the arc, which sheds light on the larger issues for Clemson.
For the season, Clemson sits 46th in KenPom's defensive efficiency.
It has a very ill-fitting starting lineup, too. Three of the five starters are 6-foot-10 or taller (Jake Wahlin, RJ Godfrey, Carter Welling). However, none of the three are rim-protectors, and they're all bigs that aren't overly mobile.
How is Clemson supposed to defend the versatility of this BYU lineup? I'd imagine Brad Brownell shifts to a three-guard lineup quickly.
That's not a perfect plan, either. The Tigers' guard play is pretty rough. Dillon Hunter is the clear best guard on the roster, as he averages nine points per gameand shoots 42% from 3. Beyond that, Jestin Porter — the other starter — is shooting 34% from the field, and Butta Johnson is also shooting 31% from 3-point range.
Brownell is relying heavily upon freshman guards, Zac Foster and Ace Buckner. Buckner is an up-and-coming player, but he's 3-of-24 from 3 this year. That pair will need to play well for Clemson to have a real shot at beating BYU on a neutral court.
The Tigers shoot a lot of 3s, attempting them on 42% of their field goal attempts. However, they shoot just 42% from deep. In spite of those woes, Clemson is 25th in KenPom's offensive efficiency.
The duo of Godfrey and Welling has done most of the offensive heavy lifting.
BYU Basketball
BYU has grown quite familiar with playing at neutral sites. To date, the Cougars are 4-1 on neutrals, with the lone loss coming to UConn and wins over Miami, Dayton, Villanova and Wisconsin.
From an ATS standpoint, BYU covered the spread in two of those games.
I'm buying stock in the Cougars because of their balance on both ends of the floor. The Cougars' defense was a sieve last season, sitting 82nd in defensive efficiency. This season, BYU has jumped to 19th in the same category, with Kennard Davis Jr. serving as an ace wing defender.
It holds teams to a 47% effective field goal percentage and 46.8% from inside the arc. You can thank Keba Keita for that, as he uses his massive wingspan and superb athleticism to block two shots per game.
Kevin Young did an excellent job surrounding his returning star — Richie Saunders — with two high-level offensive weapons. Star freshman AJ Dybantsa leads the Cougars with 19 points per game, and he could be a major issue for Clemson. He's a total mismatch with his athleticism and scoring creativity at 6-foot-9.
Dybantsa is too quick and creative for opposing four's to contain on the perimeter.
Point guard Robert Wright III is the main reason why BYU is fifth in offensive efficiency. He has fit like a glove in Provo, averaging 16 points with 6.3 assists per game while shooting 42% from 3.
BYU never beats itself, turning the ball over just 13% of the time. It also shoots 36% from 3 and 57% from inside the arc. There aren't a lot of ways to slow the Cougars' offense unless they just aren't hitting shots.
Clemson vs. BYU Betting Analysis
I'm rolling with the Cougars here. They just have a different gear than Clemson. BYU is 26th nationally in average offensive possession length and it seems to go on a couple of bigs runs per game.
I have no clue how Clemson keeps up unless the bigs totally dominate inside. The Tigers want to play slower and can't shoot 3s, but they will get them up.
I see BYU turning those misses into easy buckets.
My Pick: BYU -6.5 (Play to -8)
