Can the Clemson Tigers’ Ultimate Defense Hold the Virginia Cavaliers Offense Down?

Clemson Tigers plays host to the Virginia Cavaliers in an ACC showdown on Saturday evening at the Littlejohn Coliseum, Clemson.

Date: Saturday, January 16, 2021

Time: 6:00 PM EST

Venue: Littlejohn Coliseum, Clemson

Clemson vs. Virginia Betting Preview

The Clemson Tigers are placed at 12th position in the league, with a 9-1 record and 3-1 in the ACC. The Virginia Cavaliers are positioned at 15th in the league, with an 8-2 record and 4-0 in the conference.

Clemson vs. Virginia Betting Odds

Money Line: Clemson +110 | Virginia -130 (at BetOnline)

Point Spread: Clemson +1.5 (-105) | Virginia -1.5 (-115) (at BetOnline)

Total Over/Under: Under 115.5 (-112) | Over 115.5 (-108)

Odds via BetOnline as of Friday, January 16, 2021 (10:00 am ET)

Clemson Tigers Looking to Secure Their Fifth Consecutive Win

The Clemson Tigers started the season amazingly well, having won nine of their ten games, suffering a loss to Virginia Tech. The Tigers are on a row with four games straight wins after losing to Virginia Tech in December by a 6-point differential and hope to make it five wins against the Cavaliers.

The Tigers napped massive non-conference wins against Mississippi (53 – 42), Purdue (81 – 70), Maryland (67 – 51), and Alabama (64 – 56), and also snatched good ACC wins over Florida State (77 – 67), Miami (66 – 65), and more recently against North Carolina State (74 – 70).

The Tigers’ win over NC State Wolfpack on Tuesday came in overtime, with Nick Honor leading the team in scoring with 21 points, three rebounds, and three assists. Junior guard C. Trapp came closest with 11 points and seven rebounds, while senior forward Aamir Simms secured more assists (4), scored 8 points, and made seven rebounds.

The Tigers have scored an average of 68.5 points per game this season and have allowed an average of 57.6 points per game, ranking first in defense in the league.

The Virginia Cavaliers Hope to Secure Their 5th Straight Win in the ACC

The Virginia Cavaliers have won eight of their ten games played, losing two games to San Francisco by a lone point (60 – 61) and a blowout loss to Gonzaga (75 – 98).

After their huge loss to Gonzaga, the Cavaliers have bounced back with four consecutive victories, against Notre Dame (66 – 57), Wake Forest (70 – 61), Boston College (61 – 49), and most recently, a win over Notre Dame (80 – 68) on Wednesday.

The game against the Clemson Tigers will be their toughest test yet, as the Tigers’ defense has been magnificent so far in the season.

Their win over Notre Dame saw senior forward Jay Huff lead the team with 18 points, five rebounds, and an assist. Sam Hauser had more rebounds (9) in the game, scoring 15 points, tallying with Casey Morsell, who had four rebounds. While Kihei Clark added 12 points, four rebounds, and three assists to secure the win.

Offensively, the Virginia Cavaliers average 72.4 points per game, and defensively, has an average of 60.3 points per game.

Betting Prediction

Although the Virginia Cavaliers are slight favorites by sportsbooks to win this game, the Clemson Tigers defense has been able to conceive fewer points than any other team this season and will be looking to do the same to the Cavaliers.

While the Tigers are not a high scoring team, we expect them to secure the win in this fixture.

Pick: Clemson Tigers to win (+110) at BetOnline