There is plenty of high-profile college basketball action tonight as the season hits its full gear. Tipping off at 7:00 p.m. ET, the Clemson Tigers will face off with the Wake Forest Demon Deacons.
These two ACC opponents have had different outlooks on the season but have played 38 times in their history. To this point, each side has won 19 of these matchups. Clemson produced a 73-62 victory last year.
Looking at the odds for tonight’s matchup, Clemson enters as a 3.5-point favorite with -185 Moneyline odds on DraftKings Sportsbook. Wake Forest holds +154 odds of winning outright, with the game total set at 138.5 points.
Clemson vs. Wake Forest preview
The Clemson Tigers hold a 20-6 record on the season and have gone 10-3 in ACC play. They are looking to bounce back from back-to-back losses to Virginia Tech and Duke leading into this matchup. Their four other losses have come against BYU, Alabama, NC State, and Georgetown this year. On the season, Clemson has gone 16-10 against the spread, and the game total has remained under in 16 of their 26 games played.
Brad Brownell’s group is scoring 74.8 points per game, which ranks 220th out of the 365 qualifying DI teams. The Tigers rank 109th in offensive rating, 136th in team field goal percentage, and 175th in three-point percentage. Clemson has had more success defensively, holding opponents to the 13th-fewest points per game at 64.7 per contest. They also rank 30th in defensive rating, 29th in opponents’ field goal percentage, and 34th in opponents’ three-point percentage.
RJ Godfrey headlines the production, posting averages of 11.6 points and 5.2 rebounds per game. Carter Welling adds 10.5 points and 5.7 rebounds of his own, while Jestin Porter is the lone other player to average in double figures with 10.0 points per game and attempts a team-high 5.5 perimeter shots per game. Nick Davidson, Ace Buckner, Dillon Hunter, Zac Foster, and Jake Wahlin each also play key roles in the rotation.
Wake Forest holds a 13-12 record this year and has gone 4-8 in ACC Conference play. The Demon Deacons are coming off back-to-back wins over Georgia Tech and Stanford, which snapped a five-game losing streak before this. On the season, Wake Forest has gone 10-15 against the spread, and the game total has gone over in 15 of their 25 games played.
As a team, Wake Forest is averaging 79.7 points per game, which ranks 104th in the country. Steve Forbes’ squad also ranks 139th in offensive rating, 188th in field goal percentage, and 185th in three-point percentage. Defensively, the Demon Deacons rank 266th in opponents’ points per game by allowing 77.0 per contest. Wake Forest also ranks 221st in defensive rating, 199th in opponents’ field goal percentage, and 139th in opponents’ three-point percentage.
Juke Harris leads the team in scoring with 21.3 points per game, while adding 6.7 rebounds and shooting 35.5% from beyond the three-point arc. Myles Colvin pitches in 12.0 points and 4.4 rebounds per game, while Tre’Von Spillers adds 11.0 points and 5.5 rebounds of his own. Nate Calmese is the lone other player to average in double figures and adds a team-high 4.9 assists but is sidelined indefinitely with a high ankle sprain. Mekhi Mason, Omaha Biliew, Cooper Schwieger, and Sebastian Akins each also play key roles in the rotation.
Clemson vs. Wake Forest pick, best bet
This has been an even split between these two programs historically, but they arrive with different outlooks on the season. Clemson is the better overall team, and I am backing them to win and cover the 3.5-point spread.
This is a massive game for Wake Forest in terms of their at-large eligibility from an NCAA Tournament standpoint. But desire can only make up for so much talent and quality of play. Clemson has won 16 of its last 18 games against non-AP-ranked opponents, while Wake Forest has lost four of its last five home games. Clemson’s defense is the strongest unit in this matchup, allowing the fifth-fewest assists, ranking 29th in opponents’ field goal percentage, 11th in made field goals allowed per game, and 34th in opponents’ three-point percentage. They also do a nice job limiting opponents’ additional opportunities, ranking 17th in opponents’ offensive rebounds allowed. Facing a Wake Forest offense with plenty of self-inflicted issues, expect this to play a major role in the outlook for the game.
Clemson is looking to get back in the win column after coming off back-to-back losses. But this is a perfect get-right opportunity, and the Tigers have had no issue playing on the road this year. Clemson is 7-2 against the spread in road games this season and 5-2 as an away favorite. On the other side of the matchup, Wake Forest is 5-10 against the spread when playing at home this year.
Expect Clemson’s defense to be the difference in this matchup and for Wake Forest’s offense to struggle to put points on the board. The Demon Deacons have offensive issues even under the best of circumstances, and this is against one of the best defensive units in the country they will be attempting to score against. The Tigers also do an excellent job of slowing the pace down and controlling the tempo once they are in control. Count on Clemson cruising to another win and covering the 3.5-point spread in tonight’s ACC matchup.
