The No. 2-ranked Duke Blue Devils face off against the Clemson Tigers in college basketball action on Saturday afternoon.
The Tigers are tied for second place in the ACC, but there's a big gap in talent between them and the Blue Devils, which is why my Duke vs. Clemson predictions expect them to lose at home. Here are my best free college basketball picks for this ACC clash tonight.
Duke vs Clemson prediction
My best bet
Duke -5.5 (-115 at bet365)
My analysis
Let me preface this whole bet by saying I do think the Clemson Tigers are a quality team. They're rated in the Top 50 on KenPom on both adjusted offense (29th) and defense (41st) and have gone 10-2 in conference play.
That said, this team is nowhere near the same level of the Duke Blue Devils, who are fourth in adjusted offense and third in adjusted defense. The Blue Devils are on a 16-game winning streak and have won 13 of those contests by double-digits.
It's honestly a gift that we're able to get this line as low as it is since it opened at -7.5. This is only the second time in the last two months Duke hasn't been favored by more than 10 points. The other time was January 4 when they were 8-point road faves against a quality SMU team and slaughtered the Mustangs 89-62.
Meanwhile, the Tigers are coming off an OT loss at home to a sub-.500 Georgia Tech team, where they shot just 40% from inside the arc. This Clemson offense doesn't make things easy for itself, rarely attacking the rim and relying on mid-range and perimeter shots. They won't be able to get anything inside against a lengthy and highly athletic Duke squad that holds foes to 41.7 2PT% — the lowest mark in the country.
The Blue Devils also have exceptional depth, with guys like Isaiah Evans, Caleb Foster, and Maliq Brown coming off the bench. That allows them to hold on to bigger leads down the stretch and prevents back-door covers.
"Defense travels" might be a cliche, but it certainly applies to Duke, who has gone 7-0 SU and 6-1 ATS in true road games this season.
Cooper Flagg pick: Board man gets paid
My best bet
Cooper Flagg Over 6.5 rebounds (-135 at bet365)
My analysis
Cooper Flagg continues to live up to lofty expectations, and while he's coming off a quiet performance, he still leads Duke in points (19.5), rebounds (7.8), assists (4.1), and blocks (1.3) per game.
While we're seeing his points total for this game at 21.5, a tad higher than his season average, the O/U of his rebounds is interestingly lower at 6.5. The Over 6.5 boards for Flagg actually opened at +100 and have been steamed to -135, so get on this number while you can.
Although the Tigers play at a slow tempo, they're 11th in the ACC in rebounding margin during conference play, and Flagg has pulled down 7+ rebounds in 16 of 22 games this season.
Duke vs Clemson same-game parlay (SGP)
Duke -5.5
Cooper Flagg Over 6.5 rebounds
Tyrese Proctor Over 1.5 assists
The Tigers play at an extremely slow pace, but I still think the player stats for the Duke players are a tad deflated, especially since Clemson struggles on the defensive glass (16th in the ACC in defensive rebounding rate) and ranks 10th in the conference in opponent 2PT% (50.6%).
That's why I'm taking the Over on Flagg's rebounds and adding in the Over 1.5 on Tyrese Proctor's assists prop since he's eclipsed that number in 10 of his last 11 games.
Learn how to bet a same-game parlay with these helpful tips and strategies.
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Duke vs Clemson odds
Duke vs Clemson live odds
Duke vs Clemson opening odds
- Spread: Duke -7.5 | Clemson +7.5
- Moneyline: Duke -300 | Clemson +240
- Over/Under: Over 134.5 | Under 134.5
Odds courtesy of bet365.
Duke vs Clemson betting trend to know
The Blue Devils are 7-0 SU and 6-1 ATS on the road this season. Find more college basketball betting trends for Duke vs. Clemson.
How to watch Duke vs Clemson
| Location | Littlejohn Coliseum, Clemson, SC |
| Date | Saturday, 2-8-2025 |
| Tip-off | 6:30 p.m. ET |
| TV | ESPN |
Duke vs Clemson key injuries
Not intended for use in MA.
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