NC State vs. Clemson ACC Tournament First Round Odds, Preview, and Prediction (Archive)
Tuesday’s NCAA basketball betting lineup includes the first day of the ACC Tournament in Brooklyn where the North Carolina State Wolfpack takes on the Clemson Tigers in a clash of the conference’s 15 and 10 seeds, respectively.
NC State Wolfpack vs. Clemson Tigers
Tuesday, March 8, 2022 – 4:30 PM EST at Barclays Center
Finishing last in the Atlantic Coast Conference, as North Carolina State did this season, is always a bit embarrassing since the league is noted for excellence on the hardwood. It is especially humiliating for Kevin Keatts and the Wolfpack – who closed with 4-straight losses – since their Research Triangle neighbors Duke and North Carolina finished 1-2 in the conference.
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Clemson ended the regular season on a 4-game win streak and still only managed to sneak into the 10-slot for the conference tourney. That surge to end the schedule put Brad Brownell and the Tigers in the position that preseason NCAA basketball futures suggested they’d finish in the ACC, while the Wolfpack disappointed according to the same numbers.
January Clash Came Up Short on Totals Board
This late-afternoon tip at Barclays Center is perfect for anyone wanting to skip out of work a little early and begin their happy hour at a local pub sooner than usual. BetOnline (visit our BetOnline Review) is offering Clemson up as 5-point chalk with 143 for the scoreboard target.
Keatts and the Wolfpack will be seeking a measure of revenge after falling to the Tigers in early January, the only meeting between the two this season. North Carolina State was pegged a small home favorite in the matchup and jumped out to a 9-0 lead before Clemson got things in gear and went on to a 70-65 decision. It was still a one-possession game with 6½ minutes to go, but the Wolfpack proceeded to go 3+ minutes without a bucket to hand the dubya to the Tigers.
North Carolina State also suffered a prolonged scoring drought early in the second half and managed to convert just 19 of its 60 field goal attempts (31.7%). Neither side did a good job protecting the rock with the Tigers turning it over 16 times and the Wolfpack giving it up 15 times. Dereon Seabron led all scorers with 27.
January’s victory was the second in a row for Clemson in the rivalry, though North Carolina State still holds a commanding 105-56 advantage. Included in that record is a 21-6 record for the Wolfpack in neutral-site affairs. The last of those was at the 2019 ACC Tournament, a 59-58 Wolfpack win as 2-point underdogs. The ‘under’ has cashed seven of the last 10 meetings.
NC State Closes with 3-Straight ‘Over’ Winners
Not only did the Wolfpack bring up the rear of the ACC this season, but they were also among the dregs in the country when it comes to covering the college basketball odds. North Carolina State was a woeful 7-24 ATS, failing to cover the numbers in any of the final four losses and dropping cash in nine of the last 10 games.
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Their only won over the course of the final 11 games came in Atlanta three weeks ago when the Wolfpack enjoyed a 76-61 decision over Georgia Tech. They promptly followed that up with a 69-61 loss at home to Boston College as 6½-point favorites. Everything came to a close this past Saturday in Tallahassee where Florida State coasted to an 89-73 decision on a -6½ spread.
Tigers Wrap Season with 3-Straight ‘Unders’
Tuesday’s winner will face Virginia Tech on Wednesday, and that would be a quick rematch for Brownell and the Tigers. Clemson hosted the Hokies on Saturday and, after trailing by as many as nine in the first half, the Tigers rallied for a 63-59 decision with most online betting sites favoring Virginia Tech by a bucket.
Saturday’s mild upset was another big step for the Tigers who lost five in a row prior to their current win streak. In each of their four wins to finish the regular season, three of which were ATS wins as well, the Tigers turned on the jets in the second half to get the dubyas. The win at Boston College was also a good sign since Clemson was just 4-10 away from home before then.
Clemson is not a great offensive team by any stretch, but then, no team has to have a rip-roaring offense to enjoy success against North Carolina State’s defense. My college basketball pick is on the Tigers.
NCAAB Pick: Clemson -5 (-115) at BetOnline
*The line and/or odds on picks in this article might have moved since the content was commissioned. For updated line movements, visit BMR’s free betting odds product.