Saturday College Basketball Odds, Picks & Predictions: Clemson vs. Boston College Betting Preview (Feb. 26)
John Byrum/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images. Pictured: Boston College forward James Karnik (33)
- The Clemson Tigers (13-15) and Boston College Eagles (11-16) meet in Chestnut Hill, MA on Saturday to renew their annual ACC basketball series.
- Neither Clemson nor Boston College has any path to the NCAA Tournament barring a borderline-miraculous sweep in the ACC Tournament, but the betting market is still nonetheless lively leading up to Saturday afternoon's 3 p.m. ET tipoff.
- Across the market, some shops list Clemson as high as 1.5-point favorites, while other sportsbooks make Boston College the favorite at that same number. Which side of that 3-point swing ought you to bet this afternoon? Our college basketball betting analyst breaks it all down in his Clemson vs. Boston College preview below.
Clemson vs. Boston College Odds
| Clemson Odds | ||
|---|---|---|
| Spread | Total | Moneyline |
-1.5 -110 | 135.5 -110o / -110u | -110 |
| Boston College Odds | ||
|---|---|---|
| Spread | Total | Moneyline |
+1.5 -110 | 135.5 -110o / -110u | -110 |
Clemson and Boston College will both be relying on a miracle ACC Men's Basketball Tournament run for any hope of earning a bid to the NCAA Tournament.
It’s been a disappointing season for the Clemson Tigers, who are just 5-12 in conference play. The group ended a six-game losing streak last time out against Wake Forest. It was the biggest win of the season for the Tigers — they pulled it off despite missing two starters, including P.J. Hall.
They hope to make it two in a row when they travel to Chestnut Hill to take on Boston College. The Eagles have been playing inspired basketball over the last two weeks. The group won two conference games in a row for the first time, defeating Florida State and NC State.
Boston College has covered the spread in four of its last five games and looks to stay hot for bettors in this showdown.
Clemson Tigers
The status of Hall is pivotal for this matchup. He’s been playing on an injured foot for much of the season and was only able to play one minute against Louisville before being held out against Wake Forest.
Hall is the leading scorer for Clemson, putting up 16 points and six rebounds per game. The 6-foot-10 forward is shooting 49% on the season and is the heartbeat to this offense.
Hunter Tyson is out for the season after breaking his clavicle last week. His production of 10 points and six rebounds per game will sorely be missed.
That leaves the Tigers shorthanded on both ends of the floor. The offense has struggled with scoring inside the paint and finding offensive rebounds. Missing two forwards certainly won’t help that cause.
The Clemson offense is reliant on its three-point shooting as the group has converted on 37% on the season. Nearly 40% of the team's total shot attempts come from beyond the arc, which has contributed to 33% of the team's total points. Boston College hasn’t been great at defending the perimeter this season, which could leave them a bit susceptible.
Boston College Eagles
Boston College is fresh off its first win in Raleigh, N.C. in nearly a decade. The Eagles shot 53% from the field in the 69-61 win over NC State.
The offense has started to find a spark over the last four games. The group scored 95 points against Notre Dame, hitting 56% from the field and 10-of-23 from deep. The Eagles mimicked that offensive effort against Florida State, hitting 11-of-26 from downtown. For a team that has hit 30% of its three-pointers on the season, they’re starting to get hot.
The offense has begun to attack the rim — something they lacked early in conference play. The Eagles scored 20 of their 33 first-half points in the paint against NC State. If they can continue to find success in the paint, that opens up clean looks from outside.
Boston College primarily runs a seven-man rotation that has seen all seven players averaging between seven and 12 points per game. Makai Ashton-Langford is the primary ball handler and leading scorer, hitting 46% of his two-point attempts. He led the Eagles to their roaring comeback in the first matchup against Clemson, scoring 19 points hitting 7-of-11 from two-point range.
Clemson vs. Boston College Betting Pick
These two teams met back in January in a game where Clemson jumped out to a 34-11 lead in the opening 13 minutes. Boston College clawed its way back and took the lead for the first time in the game with 30 seconds remaining.
We can break down and over breakdown this play but it’s really this simple: Clemson lost the one guy they couldn’t in this situation and Brevin Galloway made them pay. Good for Brevin pic.twitter.com/hVKgiND7nY
— BC Film Room (@bcfilmroom) January 16, 2022
That matchup was in Clemson and the Tigers were at full strength. Now the Tigers will be on the road and shorthanded without Hunter Tyson and potentially their captain in P.J. Hall.
Even with those two in the lineup, Boston College center James Karnik was dominant in the first matchup, scoring 17 points on 8-of-11 from the field. If Hall and Tyson are out, he is destined to expose a Tigers defense that ranks 171st in defending two-point attempts.
Boston College has shown grit the last two weeks and seems to be peaking just before the ACC Men's Basketball Tournament. The Eagles will extend their ACC win streak to three games against a shorthanded Clemson program.
Pick: Boston College +1 (Play to -2)
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