NC State Wolfpack vs Clemson Tigers Betting Preview
The ACC tournament kicks off Tuesday, and one of the play-in games features the No. 15 NC State Wolfpack (11-20), taking on the No. 10 Clemson Tigers (16-15). The winner will get No. 7 Virginia Tech. This game will be played at the Barclays Center, with tipoff scheduled for 4:30 pm ET.
During the regular season, Clemson was able to take down the Wolfpack on the road 70-65. PJ Hall led Clemson with 20, while Dereon Seabron had a game-high 27 for the Wolfpack in the loss.
NC State comes into this one having lost four games in a row. Most recently, they lost 89-76 on the road to Florida State. Terquavion Smith, Jericole Hellems, and Dereon Seabron combined for 68 points, but it still wasn’t enough for the Wolfpack.
On the flip side, Clemson has been playing good basketball to finish out the season. Not only are they on a four-game winning streak, but they beat Virginia Tech, who they could match up with next, 63-59 in their season finale. In the win, Clemson had four players score in double digits, led by PJ Hall with 12.
Clemson is the favorite in this one. They are -230 to win while the Wolfpack’s moneyline sits at +188. The spread features NC State +5.5 (-110), and the over/under for total points is 142.5.
More Odds
Clemson is tied for the 10th-best odds of winning the ACC Tournament at +10000. The Wolfpack are +12000 to win it all.
By The Numbers
NC State has had the better offense this season. They rank 96th in the nation in scoring averaging 73.3 points per game. The Tigers rank 133rd, averaging 71.7 points.
Defensively, Clemson holds the edge. They rank 139th in the nation in scoring defense as they are allowing opponents an average of 68.4 points per game. The Wolfpack rank 309th as they are allowing 75.8 points per game.
NC State Looks To Break Losing Streak, Get Revenge
At 11-20 overall and 4-16 in the conference, the NC State Wolfpack were the worst team in the ACC this season. While it has been a frustrating season, they can get some level of solace if they can overtake Clemson, getting revenge from a regular-season loss earlier in the season.
Leading the way for the Wolfpack is sophomore guard Dereon Seabron. On the season, he is averaging 17.3 points per game on 49.9% shooting. He is also chipping in eight rebounds, 3.1 assists, and 1.4 steals per game.
The Wolfpack have two others averaging double digits in guard Terquavion Smith (16.5 points, 4.1 rebounds, two assists, 1.4 steals) and forward Jericole Hellems (13.7 points, 4.5 rebounds, 1.4 assists, 1.1 steals).
Tigers Coming In With A Lot Of Confidence
For being the 10th seed out of 15 teams, Clemson is coming into this tournament with a lot of confidence. Yes, they have won four games in a row, but if they win on Tuesday, they will play an opponent in Virginia Tech that they just beat.
Leading the Clemson offense is sophomore forward PJ Hall. He is averaging 15.4 points, 5.7 rebounds, and 1.5 assists this season.
Other contributors for the Tigers include Al-Amir Dawes (11.4 points, 2.9 rebounds, 2.3 assists), David Collins (10.3 points, 6.9 rebounds, 2.5 assists, 1.6 steals), and Hunter Tyson (10.1 points, 5.3 rebounds, 1.2 assists).
Take Clemson To Win And Cover
While the records “reset” in the postseason, it is still hard to overlook how differently these two teams have been playing. Clemson has been scorching hot as of late while the Wolfpack can’t seem to get out of their own way.
NC State does have some weapons and could flirt with an upset, but expect Clemson to take control of this game late. When the dust settles, take Clemson to both win and cover the 5.5-point spread.
