Clemson vs Virginia Tech Picks and Odds
- Clemson is a 1.5-point road favorite over Virginia Tech on Tuesday night in the ACC opener for both teams at Cassell Coliseum in Blacksburg
- Clemson is 5-0 and leading the nation in scoring defense as it is allowing 51.4 points a game
- Keve Aluma, a transfer from Wofford, leads Virginia Tech with 15.8 points and 7.8 rebounds a game
Two of what figure to be the more improved teams in the ACC this season will square off in the conference opener for both teams.
Clemson visits Virginia Tech at 6:30 p.m. ET Tuesday at Cassell Coliseum in Blacksburg. The Tigers are small road favorites.
#24 Clemson vs Virginia Tech Odds
| Team | Moneyline | Spread | Total |
|---|---|---|---|
| Clemson | -108 | -1.5 (+104) | Over 125.5 (-110) |
| Virginia Tech | -108 | +1.5 (-128) | Under 125.5 (-110) |
Odds taken Dec. 14 from FanDuel
Clemson moved into the rankings Monday at No. 24 after raising their record to 5-0. The Tigers are also a perfect 5-0 against the spread.
Virginia Tech dropped out of the top 25 following its first loss of the season. The Hokies are 4-1 overall but just 2-3 ATS.
Last season, Clemson was 16-15 and Virginia Tech finished 16-16.
Clemson’s Defense Airtight
Many observers believed coming into the season that Brad Brownell had the best team of his 11-year tenure as Clemson’s coach. The Tigers have done nothing yet to dispel that notion.
The Tigers’ fine start has been fueled by their defense.
Going into Monday’s play, Clemson led the nation in points allowed, giving up just 51.4 a game. It was also allowing opponents to shoot just 34.9%, the 11th-best mark in Division I.
This gives an image of how Clemson's help defense works.
This is poor spacing by Alabama, which allows 4's man to tag the roller (3) and 23's man to sink and take 4 but also be in position to recover to 23, which he does later in this possession. pic.twitter.com/pSUoUwkv1Y
— Bama Basketball Film Room (@BamaFilmRoom) December 13, 2020
Sophomore guard Nick Honor has helped spearhead the defensive effort with an average of 2.0 steals a game. He is a transfer from Fordham.
Clemson, a 1.5-point underdog, held down explosive Alabama in a 64-55 victory Saturday at the Holiday Hoopsgiving in Atlanta. The Crimson Tide shot just 30.4% and had 15 turnovers.
Senior forward Aamir Simms, a preseason All-ACC Pick, is the only Tigers player scoring in double figures with his 11.6 average. However, Honor (9.8) and sophomore guard Al Amir-Dawes (9.2) are close to the 10-point mark.
Simms can make the long 3.
Clemson F Aamir Simms (@EarlShmitty_ ) with the full Court toss A La @KingJames @espn @SportsCenter #SCtop10 pic.twitter.com/1M9PSCFvtg
— Conway (@CoachConway21) June 20, 2018
Simms, who withdrew his name from consideration for the NBA Draft, scored 13.0 points a game last season.
Bad Loss for Virginia Tech
Virginia Tech’s perfect start came to an abrupt halt last Tuesday when it was thumped by Penn State 75-55 in Blacksburg. The Nittany Lions led by as many as 29 points in the second half despite being 5.5-point underdogs.
The Hokies had won 34 straight nonconference games at Cassell Coliseum but were done in by 37% shooting and a season-high 14 turnovers. Meanwhile, Penn State shot 50% and made a dozen 3-point field goals.
It was bad night in totality for the ACC.
Big Ten schools the ACC in basketball tonight, also beating North Carolina and Duke in double-digit wins.
Iowa 93, North Carolina 80
Illinois 83, Duke 68
Rutgers 79, Syracuse 69
Ohio State 90, Notre Dame 85
Penn State 75, Virginia Tech 55
Minnesota over Boston College pic.twitter.com/r4ep0nkaps— Ralph Perez (@RHawk_Z) December 9, 2020
Amazingly, Virginia Tech lost by 20 points despite holding Penn State’s Seth Lundy scoreless. He entered the game averaging a team-best 22.3 points.
The loss dropped the Hokies from No. 15 to all the way out of the Associated Press media poll Monday.
Junior forward Keve Aluma has been a major addition after transferring from Wofford, where he played for current Virginia Tech coach Mike Young. Aluma leads the Hokies with 15.8 points and 7.8 rebounds a game.
Sophomore guards Naheim Alleyne and Tyrece Radford are both scoring 11.0 point a game.
History Favors Hokies
Virginia Tech swept the season series from Clemson last season, winning 67-60 as seven-point road underdogs then 70-58 as 1.5-point favorites in Blacksburg. The Hokies have also won six of the last seven matchups dating to 2016.
In last season’s first meeting, which was the season opener for both teams, Alleyne had 11 points for Virginia Tech off the bench. Simms registered a double-double with 12 points and 15 rebounds for Clemson.
The Hokies’ Radford scored 16 points in the rematch.
Tigers’ Tough Schedule
While picking road favorites in the ACC can be a risky proposition, Clemson’s victory over Alabama was its fourth against a Power Five team this season. The Tigers have also beaten Mississippi State, Purdue and Maryland.
Clemson has proven itself against good competition and will be too much for Virginia Tech, which was exposed by Penn State.
The Pick: Clemson -1.5 (+104)
John Perrotto has been covering and writing about sports for various outlets for over 40 years. His work has appeared in the likes of USA TODAY, ESPN.com, SI.com, Forbes.com, The Associated Press, Baseball Digest, and more. John is based out of Beaver Falls, PA.
