The No. 4 ranked Kentucky Wildcats head to the Littlejohn Coliseum on Tuesday night to face off against the Clemson Tigers.
The Wildcats are a perfect 7-0 with a completely rebuilt roster under new head coach Mark Pope, and my Kentucky vs. Clemson predictions are backing them to win again. Here are my free college basketball picks for this clash on December 3.
Kentucky vs Clemson prediction
My best bet
Kentucky moneyline (-120 at bet365)
My analysis
The Clemson Tigers are 285th in the country in adjusted tempo, according to KenPom. However, the Tigers are 62nd in average offensive length of possession (15.9 seconds) and have been slowed down by sluggish possessions from their foes.
That won't be the case against the Kentucky Wildcats, who have been playing a run-and-gun style under Mark Pope and are third in the country in average possession length (14.3 seconds).
That blazing-fast pace hasn't come at the expense of efficiency, with Kentucky 12th in the country in adjusted offense and eighth in effective field goal percentage. The Tigers have also been efficient with the ball (35th in adjusted offensive efficiency and 57th in EFG%), but there are a few reasons they won't be able to keep up with Kentucky's high-flying attack in what should be a shootout tonight.
The Wildcats have been extremely efficient in transition and lead the country with 23.0 fastbreak points per game. The Tigers are outside the Top 300 in transition efficiency, per ShotQualityBets, and average just 8.8 ppg on the fastbreak. The Tigers also sit outside the Top 300 in attacking the rim frequency and settling for midrange shots can be especially problematic in close contests.
In addition, while both of these squads have been shooting the ball extremely well from deep, Kentucky has done a significantly better job at defending the arc. The Wildcats are eighth in the country in opponent 3-point percentage (24.9%) while the Tigers are 157th (32.4%).
This will be the Wildcats first true road game of the season but this is a highly-experienced squad that should travel well. They defeated Duke on a neutral site as 5.5-point pups last month and should be able to come away with a win in hostile territory tonight.
Kentucky vs Clemson same-game parlay
Kentucky moneyline
Over 156
Ian Schieffelin Under 11.5 rebounds
This game should be played at a speedy tempo, and that, combined with both teams' ability to catch fire from deep, should lead to the Over cashing.
Schieffelin averages 11.6 rpg but will have a tough time eclipsing 11.5 rebounds against a Kentucky squad that's 24th in the country in rebounding rate and has three forwards 6-foot-10 or taller in its rotation.
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Kentucky vs Clemson odds
Kentucky vs Clemson live odds
Kentucky vs Clemson opening odds
- Spread: Kentucky -2.5 | Clemson +2.5
- Moneyline: Kentucky -150 | Clemson +125
- Over/Under: Over 155.5 | Under 155.5
Odds courtesy of bet365.
Kentucky vs Clemson betting trend to know
The Over is 22-10 in Kentucky's last 32 games (+10.95 units / 31% ROI). Find more college basketball betting trends for Kentucky vs. Clemson.
How to watch Kentucky vs Clemson
| Location: | Littlejohn Coliseum, Clemson, SC |
| Date: | Tuesday, 12-3-2024 |
| Tip-off: | 9:30 p.m. ET |
| TV: | ESPN |
Kentucky vs Clemson key injuries
Not intended for use in MA.
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