The Clemson Tigers take on the Syracuse Orange in Syracuse, NY. Tip-off is set for 2 p.m. ET on ESPN2.
Clemson is favored by 2.5 points on the spread with a price of 57-cent to win and the total set at 141.5 points on Fanatics Markets.
Here’s my Clemson vs. Syracuse prediction and college basketball picks for December 31, 2025.
Clemson vs Syracuse Prediction
My Pick: Under 141.5 (Play to 138)
My Clemson vs Syracuse best bet is on the under. For all of your college basketball bets, be sure to find the best lines by using our live NCAAB odds page.
Clemson vs Syracuse College Basketball Betting Preview
Clemson Basketball
The Brad Brownell era at Clemson has seemed doomed numerous times, but the longtime boss is now one of the ACC’s most consistent bosses. His steady style has helped the Tigers to the NCAA Tournament in three of the last five years.
Per usual, the strength of this roster still lives in the paint, where RJ Godfrey, Carter Welling and Nick Davidson give Clemson a steady blend of physicality, toucH and defensive reliability.
Jake Wahlin adds an important wrinkle as a stretch piece, forcing opposing bigs to defend in space and opening driving lanes for Clemson’s guards.
One of Clemson’s biggest advantages is how well it takes care of the basketball. The Tigers rank 15th nationally in turnover rate, an elite mark that speaks to both system discipline and individual reliability.
Ace Buckner and Jestin Porter have been especially solid, limiting live-ball mistakes and allowing Clemson to control tempo — a critical factor in a game where possessions will be at a premium.
Defensively, Clemson’s numbers look excellent on paper, especially from beyond the arc. The Tigers rank eighth nationally in opponent 3-point percentage, allowing just 27.3%.
That figure, however, may be slightly inflated by shooting luck, as ShotQuality projects opponents to be roughly six percentage points higher. Still, Clemson’s physicality and structure generally travel well, particularly in road environments.
The biggest concern has been Clemson’s vulnerability in second halves. Blowing a 20-point lead against BYU and nearly coughing up a similar halftime cushion versus Cincinnati highlights an uncomfortable trend of second-half stagnation.
That issue becomes even more pressing with the recent loss of freshman guard Zac Foster to a torn ACL.
While Foster was an inefficient scorer, he was Clemson’s most dynamic perimeter creator, and his absence places added strain on Dillon Hunter — who ranks in the first percentile nationally in Net Rating, per CBB Analytics.
The Tigers’ margin for error has narrowed.
Syracuse Basketball
The clock is ticking on Syracuse boss Red Autry, whose tenure has been rather underwhelming at this point. The Orange can point to a high-profile non-conference win over Tennessee as proof of upside, but a damaging buy-game loss to Hofstra offsets that boost.
Syracuse has a lot of work to do in conference play.
The perimeter offense remains the biggest question mark. Kiyan Anthony has struggled to find consistency as a shooter, Naithan George has battled turnover issues and J.J. Starling has been erratic as a finisher while also leaving points on the table at the free-throw line.
That last point looms especially large given one of the most jarring statistical profiles in the country: Syracuse is dead last nationally in free-throw percentage at 59%.
That flaw has crushed the Orange in close games, as they went 12-of-29 at the line in a loss against Houston and just 9-of-16 in the Hofstra defeat.
William Kyle III has been a major swing piece for the Orange. On one hand, he's a major offender at the charity stripe (48.5% on high volume), but his impact elsewhere is enormous.
Kyle is a dominant interior defender, an elite athlete and a high-level rebounder who provides vertical spacing as a finisher.
Syracuse is at its best defensively when Kyle is anchoring the paint, erasing mistakes and deterring rim attempts.
One potential variable is the status of Donnie Freeman. He's appeared close to returning for weeks, and coming back for conference play would make sense. His presence would add much-needed stability and scoring punch to a Syracuse lineup that's often struggled to manufacture easy points.
Against a disciplined Clemson team, Syracuse’s ability to clean up the margins — especially at the line — will likely determine the outcome.
Clemson vs. Syracuse Betting Analysis
From a tempo and stylistic standpoint, this matchup screams grind. Both teams rank among the slowest in the country in defensive possession length, with Clemson sitting 362nd and Syracuse 343rd nationally, per KenPom.
While defensive possession length isn't always controllable, Clemson’s drop coverage does a strong job of limiting early offense. That trend aligns neatly with Syracuse’s own tendency to force extended half-court possessions.
The interior matchup is particularly important for the total. Syracuse leans heavily on Kyle’s rim protection and interior finishing, while Clemson’s frontcourt depth creates an interesting duel.
If Clemson’s bigs can pull Kyle away from the rim with spacing – or attack Syracuse’s secondary forwards like Sadiq White Jr. or Tyler Betsey at the 4 – the Tigers may generate efficient looks.
Still, neither team profiles as explosive, especially with Clemson missing Foster and Syracuse’s guards having their own issues (plus possibly reintegrating Freeman).
Clemson’s defense and physicality have historically traveled well, as evidenced by a strong 21-14-1 ATS road mark over the past three-plus seasons.
That makes the spread worth monitoring, even with the Tigers laying points in the Carrier Dome (aka JMA Wireless Dome).
However, the more appealing angle to me is the total.
With both teams comfortable playing long possessions, limited transition opportunities and Syracuse’s free throw issues undercutting scoring, the under is my preferred play.
This sets up as a methodical, physical conference battle where points are at a major premium.
My Pick: Under 141.5 (Play to 138)
