The Clemson Tigers take on the No. 19 UNC Tar Heels on Thursday in an ACC Tournament college basketball matchup. The game tips off at 9:30 p.m. ET in Charlotte, North Carolina.
The Tar Heels are listed as 1.5-point favorites on DraftKings Sportsbook, with the total set at O/U 140.5 points. Below is my full preview, prediction and pick for this ACC Tournament college basketball matchup.
Clemson vs. UNC prediction, preview
The UNC Tar Heels are in an interesting spot heading into March Madness. They are a top-20 team in the nation and are projected to be a 6-seed in the NCAA Tournament. However, they will be playing the rest of the way without superstar forward Caleb Wilson. The freshman missed the last seven games of the regular season with a fractured hand that led to season-ending thumb surgery. Wilson has a real argument to be the No. 1 pick in the NBA Draft in a couple of months. He led the Tar Heels in every major statistical category, points, rebounds, assists, steals and blocks per game. North Carolina is still a decent team without Wilson, going 5-2 down the stretch following his injury against Miami. However, their ceiling is nowhere near as high.
Clemson is a lock to make the NCAA Tournament. However, this win against UNC could boost their stock. Clemson is currently projected to be a 9-seed in the March Madness field. However, a win over North Carolina, even without Caleb Wilson, would go a long way in bumping them up. If the Tigers could somehow get out of the 8/9-seed game and get onto the 7-seed line, it would greatly increase their chances of winning a Round of 64 game. Clemson is not a high-scoring team by any means. The Tigers’ leading scorer, RJ Godfrey, is averaging just 11.7 points per game. However, they are a well-balanced, disciplined group that does all of the little things right. They play a very methodical style of basketball and work hard on the defensive end of the floor.
Clemson vs. UNC pick
My best bet for this game is on the North Carolina moneyline. The Tar Heels have a chip on their shoulder following the loss of Caleb Wilson. Every single player on that roster will want to prove that they can without their superstar teammate. The Tar Heels were put in a brutal spot, going on the road to No. 1 Duke immediately following the news that Wilson was out for the season. However, after five days off, UNC should come prepared to win this game. These teams did play in the regular season while Caleb Wilson was out with his hand injury. UNC won that game 67-63. The Tar Heels should only improve the longer they stay alive in March, learning how to play better without Wilson. The Tar Heels have more talent and rank 35th nationally in offensive rating, compared to Clemson, which ranks 70th. UNC should get the buckets needed to win down the stretch in this game.
