UNC vs Clemson Odds, Pick for Saturday

We've got a big early showdown on our hands Saturday afternoon that could have long-term effects on the ACC race.

North Carolina heads south to Clemson to take on the surging Tigers in a matchup of two teams who have both been pleasant surprises to begin the year.

The Tar Heels enter this one 10-3 overall and 2-0 in the ACC, ranked top-10 nationally.

Meanwhile, Clemson lost earlier this week in a shootout at Miami, but it was only the Tigers' second loss.

Clemson will look to bounce back against a longtime rival that it's struggled against. UNC leads the all-time series 123-22.

Can the Tigers notch a big home victory over a longtime foe? Let's discuss where the betting value lies.

The Tar Heels have been very impressive thus far.

Hubert Davis scheduled a gauntlet of a non-conference slate, and the Heels have held up fine.

UNC has big-time wins over Tennessee and Oklahoma and a thrashing of Arkansas. The only losses are to UConn, Kentucky and Villanova, and the two Wildcat games could've easily swung the other way.

RJ Davis has been fantastic, and Notre Dame transfer Cormac Ryan gives this team a veteran presence who can guard and knock down open shots.

Lastly, there’s the old head, Armando Bacot, who remains one of the nation's most reliable bigs on the glass and a threat to score on every possession.

North Carolina has also shown a lot of balance, ranking inside the top 30 in KenPom's offensive and defensive efficiency rankings.

The battle between Bacot and PJ Hall on the interior will go a long way in deciding the outcome of this game.

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Without question, this is the surprise team of the conference to this point.

After missing out on the NCAA tournament a year ago, Brad Brownell’s team entered 2023-2024 with a vengeance.

Clemson has beaten Alabama, TCU, South Carolina, Boise State and Pitt. Its only loss came by two at Memphis.

As a result, the Tigers currently have a top-15 resume in the country and are in a great position entering conference play.

I don’t think any of it is fluky, either. This group has the goods to challenge for an ACC banner.

Bouncing back Saturday at home with a victory will go a long way in catapulting this team forward to contend.

To do that, Clemson must continue to knock down shots from the perimeter against a UNC team that will surrender some clean looks.

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I view these teams similarly, so I'll side with the home team in an excellent situational spot.

Expect Clemson to come out with its hair on fire and knock down some early triples to take quick control of the game.

Carolina is too talented not to hang around, but I like the Tigers to make one or two more plays in its building and secure the victory.

This will be a fun early one to kick off the first full Saturday of hoops in the new year.

Go Tigers.

Pick: Clemson -1 (Play to -3)

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