The Clemson Tigers destroyed UAB to earn the final 12 seed, and they will look to become the latest No. 12 to make life miserable for a 5 seed.
The game is being played at St. Petes Times Forum, which makes it closer for Tiger fans than Mountaineer fans, who hope their team can cover a 2-point spread and advance to the second round.
Clemson ranked 20th nationally in defense, which could interest UNDER bettors today. The Hokies have struggled ATS, going just 3-7 in their past 10 and the history of 5's struggling against 12's is well documented.
View Clemson vs West Virginia Odds and Stats.
Power Rankings / Prediction:
According to new college basketball power rankings here, it's the No. 14-ranked Mountaineers and the No. 55-rated Tigers in this matchup.
Computer formulas aimed at predicting NCAAB scores point to a 73-71 win for the Tigers on Thursday.
How They Match Up:
When it comes to rebounds, the visiting Tigers rank No. 186 in NCAA Division 1 with 34.7 per game. That compares with West Virginia’s No. 57 ranking in that category. The story is different when it comes to three-point shooting where West Virginia is college basketball's No. 166-ranked team at 6.3 per game, while the Tigers rate No. 139 with 6.4 per game.
Comparing how these foes stack up statistically, Clemson owns the country's No. 82-rated mark, allowing 67.1 points per game on the highway. West Virginia, on the other hand, rates No. 131 in scoring at home.
In their last action, Clemson was a 70-52 Sportsbook against UAB. They covered the 4.5–point spread as favorites.
Last time out for West Virginia, they were a 67-61 loser as they battled Marquette. They failed to cover in the match as a 3-point favorite.
Clemson Tigers Trends:
When playing on Thursday are 5-5
After playing UAB are 1-0
After a win are 5-5
West Virginia Mountaineers Trends:
When playing on Thursday are 10-0
After playing Marquette are 4-2
After a loss are 8-2
A few Tigers at Mountaineers trends to consider:
The total has gone UNDER in 6 of West Virginia's last 7 games
West Virginia is 4-2 SU in its last 6 games
West Virginia is 3-7 ATS in its last 10 games