Louisville and Clemson will square off late Friday night, with the winner heading to the ACC Championship.
For a program with so much success, this is surprisingly Louisville's first ACC tournament semifinal in school history. The Cardinals got here after a wild comeback against Stanford, while Clemson snuck by SMU with a three-point victory. These two teams have been the second and third-best teams in the conference all season, so this should be a good one.
My Louisville vs. Clemson predictions and college basketball picks like the Cardinals' chances on Friday, March 14.
Who will win Clemson vs Louisville?
Louisville. Had Clemson defensive stopper Dillon Hunter not gotten injured yesterday, this would have been much more difficult to answer, and I would have likely picked Clemson. However, without him, the Tigers lose their biggest dribble contain defender, and that will be a challenge to overcome against Chucky Hepburn.
Clemson vs Louisville prediction
My best bet: Louisville 1H moneyline (+100 at bet365)
There's a lot that I like here, both situationally and tactically. I'm grabbing the Louisville Cardinals to come out of the locker room and lay the first marker down.
The Cardinals have harped on two things this season more than anything else: elite scouting of their opponent, and punching their opponent in the mouth first. It has worked, too. Before last night, Louisville had led at the half in 20 straight games. And, as you might imagine, Kelsey wasn't thrilled to see that streak end. Neither were the players.
"It shouldn't take for us to be down 15 to come out and play like that," Terrence Edwards Jr. said. "That's how we play from the jump."
This could easily be dismissed as a simple player speak if Louisville hadn't shown it so many times already this season. And I love the spot here, especially when you add that the Clemson Tigers will be dealing without Dillon Hunter (hand) in the lineup for the first time this season.
Head coach Brad Brownell confirmed the grim diagnosis for the junior guard last night. While there won't be much of an impact without him on the offensive end, his impact on the other end will be huge. I suspect it may take a half or longer for Clemson to adjust, too.
In non-garbage time minutes this season, without Hunter on the floor, Clemson has allowed just over a point per possession. That number is closer to .94 points per possession allowed with him on the floor. That's a significant drop-off, and it's more important in this matchup than others.
Since Louisville guard and sharpshooter Reyne Smith suffered an ankle injury against California two weeks ago, the Cardinals have gone to a much heavier isolation & dribble creation approach with Chucky Hepburn and Terrence Edwards carrying large scoring loads. It's not the most efficient offense, but it's been done out of necessity.
Without Hunter on the floor, Clemson has given up almost 1.1 points per possession on "dribble jumper" plays, which ranks in the Bottom 22% of basketball. I expect Louisville to expose that early as the Tigers scramble for answers.
Clemson vs Louisville same-game parlay (SGP)
Louisville 1H moneyline
Chucky Hepburn 15+ points
I think Clemson will struggle a good bit with Hepburn's dribble creation tonight. It's not more complicated than that.
Hepburn also comes into this game with plenty of momentum after the buzzer-beater win over Stanford, along with plenty of postseason experience.
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Clemson vs Louisville odds
Clemson vs Louisville live odds
Clemson vs Louisville opening odds
- Spread: Clemson -1 | Louisville +1
- Moneyline: Clemson -115 | Louisville -104
- Over/Under: Over 141.5 | Under 141.5
Odds courtesy of bet365
Clemson vs Louisville betting trend to know
Louisville has hit the 1H Moneyline in 20 of their last 21 games (+16.65 Units / 20% ROI). Find more college basketball betting trends for Clemson vs. Louisville.
How to watch Clemson vs Louisville
| Location | Spectrum Center, Charlotte, NC |
| Date | Friday, 3-14-2025 |
| Tip-off | 9:30 p.m. ET |
| TV | ESPN |
Clemson vs Louisville key injuries
Not intended for use in MA.
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