Georgetown Hoyas vs Clemson Tigers Prediction, Odds, Best Bets - Week 2
Two unbeaten teams meet at Littlejohn Coliseum, with Georgetown center Vince Iwuchukwu averaging 20.3 points and 8.7 rebounds per game this season.
The Matchup
This is the best game on the early Friday slate: Georgetown is 3-0 out of the Big East Conference and Clemson is 3-0 out of the Atlantic Coast Conference, and Littlejohn Coliseum gives the Tigers one of the louder home floors in the league. Georgetown has scored 83.0 points per game and allowed 70.0 this season. Clemson has scored 86.3 and allowed 74.0, so both teams arrive playing fast and scoring freely.
These rates blend three games from this season with last season, and the blend tells a steadier story than the hot starts alone. Clemson went 24-11 last season, scoring 73.8 and allowing 66.7, a defensive profile that has carried programs through a lot of Novembers.
Georgetown went 16-18, scoring 73.6 and allowing 72.9. What this season has shown so far is a Hoyas team built around Vince Iwuchukwu, who leads Georgetown at 20.3 points and 8.7 rebounds per game, with Jaland Lowe leading the team at 8.3 assists per game. Clemson leans on Ace Buckner, who leads the Tigers at 19.7 points and 5.3 assists per game, while Liutauras Lelevicius leads them at 8.0 rebounds per game. Iwuchukwu, Lowe, Buckner, and Lelevicius all carry no injury designations into this game.
The honest counterpoint is Iwuchukwu himself. If Clemson cannot guard him without help, Georgetown can play through the post, control the glass, and take the crowd out of it. A road team with the best big man on the floor is live to win outright.
Key Factors
The first factor is the backcourt. Buckner at 19.7 points and 5.3 assists per game is both Clemson's scorer and its organizer, and Lowe at 8.3 assists per game is the same for Georgetown. Whichever guard dictates tempo late decides a spread this small. Clemson playing at home, where its ball pressure has fueled the 86.3 points per game, gets the edge in that exchange.
The second factor is the glass. Georgetown's Iwuchukwu at 8.7 rebounds per game against Lelevicius at 8.0 rebounds per game is the matchup inside the matchup, and Clemson's blended differential of plus 9.7, this season mixed with last season, sits ahead of Georgetown's plus 6.9 for a reason: the Tigers defend possessions to the end more consistently.
The third factor is the total of 149.5. Both teams can score, but Clemson's last-season defensive baseline of 66.7 points allowed per game suggests the Tigers can drag this into the halfcourt when they need a stop. In a close game, that defensive floor is worth the short price at home.
Littlejohn Coliseum is a hard place to play and Clemson has defended its home floor with energy through an unbeaten start. Georgetown has the size inside to make this close, but the Tigers have the steadier guard play late. Lay the points with Clemson Tigers -3.5 at -110.
Game Information
| Date | Friday (11/13) |
|---|---|
| Start Time | 5:00 PM CT |
| How to Watch | ESPNU |
| Venue | Littlejohn Coliseum, Clemson |
| Spread | Clemson Tigers -3.5 |
| Total | 149.5 |
| Moneyline | Clemson Tigers -175 |
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