Clemson vs Georgia Tech Odds and Picks

• The Clemson Tigers (9-2, 3-2 ACC) play the Georgia Tech Yellow Jackets (6-3, 2-1 ACC) on Wednesday, January 20
• Clemson is fresh off its second conference loss of the season to Virginia, while Georgia Tech has not played since January 3rd due to COVID-19 concerns
• See the odds, spread, analysis, and best bet, below

The Clemson Tigers and Georgia Tech Yellow Jackets will meet for the first time this season at the Hank McCamish Pavilion in Atlanta, Georgia on Wednesday night (7:00 pm ET).

Both teams are coming off of COVID-19 complications which has delayed their seasons. The Tigers played their first game after an 11 day layoff on Saturday and got waxed by Virginia 85-50. The Yellow Jackets have only played one game in 2021 after having had their last four games postponed.

Clemson has taken four of the last six meetings between the two schools but it was Georgia Tech winning and covering the last two. The current odds show Clemson favored by 1.5 points in this matchup.

Clemson vs Georgia Tech Odds

Odds as of January 19th at FanDuel.

Clemson Plays Defense

According to KenPom, the Clemson Tigers are the sixth best defense in the country in terms of efficiency. The give up the 11th fewest points per game in the nation while holding opponents to a 41.2% shooting percentage. That elite defense was no where to be found against Virginia last Saturday.

Last night's 35-point win at No. 12 Clemson marked our largest margin of victory against a ranked opponent in school history! 🔶⚔️🔷 #GoHoos pic.twitter.com/3RfUYuTYjK

— Virginia Men's Basketball (@UVAMensHoops) January 17, 2021

To be fair, Clemson had not played a game in 11 days due to COVID-19 postponements. They looked incredibly sluggish on the offensive end scoring a season-low 17 points in the first half. They nearly doubled that output in the second half but by then Virginia was scoring at will. 15 Clemson players saw action and not one reached double-digits in points or rebounds.

Georgia Tech Looks To Resume Their Season

The Georgia Tech Yellow Jackets were rolling along offensively ranking 26th in the country in points per game. Then COVID-19 ran through their basketball program causing three straight postponements. They appeared ready to get their season restarted Saturday when their game against North Carolina State was postponed due to COVID-19 wrecking havoc in the Wolfpack program.

This is the fourth straight postponement for Georgia Tech basketball — but unlike the others, this has to do with COVID-19 issues for their opponent. https://t.co/uSTelRQHBj

— Justin Felder (@Justin_FOX5) January 14, 2021

When the Yellow Jackets tip off with the Tigers, it will have been 17 days since their last game, a 70-54 win over Wake Forest. It was Georgia Tech’s fourth straight win and fourth straight game scoring at least 70 points.

It will remain to be seen if their hot shooting picks up where it left off as they were 56th in the country in field goal percentage prior to the long layoff.

Best Betting Angle

Both teams are expected to be a little rusty given the circumstances but Georgia Tech is the side that is in the worst spot. Georgia Tech coach, Josh Pastner, has already said he won’t have his full roster available for this game. On top of that, he has not indicated which players or how many will be missing from the lineup.

Clemson will no doubt approach this one like it’s the Final Four. The 35 point beatdown at the hands of Virginia should serve as motivation going forward for a team that has only lost one other time this season. In the game against Virginia, they didn’t defend the three-point line very well at all allowing the Cavaliers to hit 55.5% from downtown. It feels like a stretch to think that will be a problem against the Yellow Jackets who haven’t played in weeks and only shoot 33.8% from beyond the arc on the season.

If this game was being played under normal circumstances, Georgia Tech would be worth a look at this price. But since we don’t know which Yellow Jackets will be out, the Tigers are the side worth backing. Look for Clemson to rebound from their last outing and cover this small number.

Pick: Clemson -1.5 (+104)