Clemson Tigers vs Louisville Cardinals Matchup

Read on to get betting odds and analysis in our Clemson vs Louisville NCAA Basketball prediction and preview and see who we think will win and cover the spread in Louisville.

Clemson vs Louisville Prediction

Don't miss out on the NCAA showdown between the Tigers and Cardinals. The game is starting at 7:00 ET on ESPNU, and it's hosted by the Cardinals at KFC Yum! Center in Louisville, KY. Get ready to place your bets! This Atlantic Coast conference matchup has an over/under of 145.5 points, and Louisville is favored to win by -3.5 at home vs. Clemson.

Clemson vs. Louisville Matchup At A Glance

Sport: NCAAB
Teams: Clemson Tigers at Louisville Cardinals
Where: Louisville at KFC Yum! Center
Date: Tuesday, January 7th
Betting Odds LOU -3.5, CLMSN +151 | LOU -186 O/U 145.5

Tigers Preview: Can the Tigers Pull Out the Win as Road Underdogs?

Clemson Tigers Recent Game

The Tigers improved to 12-3 this season with an 80-68 win over California on Saturday. Clemson was a heavy favorite at -14.5 but didn’t cover the spread. The game’s total points of 148 narrowly missed the O/U line of 148.5.

Clemson led 39-36 at halftime and pulled away in the second half, outscoring Cal 41-32.

Tigers Offense Breakdown

Clemson's offense was firing on all cylinders in their last game, shooting 62% from the field and posting an effective field goal percentage of 70%. They connected on 71.9% of their two-point attempts and hit 44.4% from beyond the arc, going 8-for-18 from three-point range. At the free-throw line, they were nearly automatic, making 10-of-12 for 83.3%.

Andrej Stojakovic led the way with 30 points on 11-of-15 shooting, while Ian Schieffelin added 21 points, hitting 8-of-10 shots. Chase Hunter contributed 19 points and 6 assists, and Jovan Blacksher Jr. chipped in 15 points, knocking down 3-of-6 from three-point range.

Tigers Team Defense

Despite Clemson's defensive struggles, they managed to hold their opponent to 68 points. However, they allowed a high field goal percentage, with the opposing team shooting 62% from the field, including 71% on two-point attempts.

From beyond the arc, Clemson's defense gave up 8 threes on 18 attempts, with the opponent shooting 44% from three. They also sent the other team to the free-throw line 12 times, where they converted 10 of those attempts for 83%.

Cardinals Preview: Can the Cardinals Live Up to the Hype at Home?

Louisville Cardinals Recent Game/Games

Louisville improved to 10-5 on the season with a 70-50 road win over Virginia on Saturday. The Cardinals, favored by 5 points, covered the spread with the victory.

After leading 32-27 at halftime, Louisville pulled away in the second half, outscoring Virginia 38-23. The total points for the game were 120, falling under the 130.5-point line.

Cardinals Offense Breakdown

Louisville put up 70 points in their last game, shooting 43.9% from the field and 36.8% from three-point range, hitting 7 of 19 attempts. Their effective field goal percentage was 49.1%, and they were nearly perfect from the free-throw line, going 13 for 14 (92.9%).

Reyne Smith and Aboubacar Traore each contributed 15 points, with Smith hitting 5 threes on 10 attempts. Andrew Rohde added 16 points and 3 assists, while Isaac McKneely chipped in 13 points and 4 assists. The Cardinals also grabbed 14 offensive rebounds and dished out 15 assists as a team.

Cardinals Team Defense

Louisville's defense was on point, holding their opponent to just 50 points on 37% shooting. They were particularly effective at defending the three-point line, where the other team managed only 5 of 26 attempts, a 19% success rate.

On the free-throw line, Louisville sent the opposing team to the stripe just 6 times, where they converted 5 shots. The Cardinals also limited second-chance opportunities, allowing only 6 offensive rebounds.

Tigers vs Cardinals Betting Odds, Trends & Analysis

Clemson has played well in their previous three road games, going 2-1 straight up. In this stretch, they averaged 74 points per game while allowing 67. The team also performed well vs the spread at 2-1.
Across their last three home contests, Louisville has been good against the spread posting a mark of 3-0. Their overall mark in these games was 2-1, while averaging 81 points per game.
Spanning across their last three games as the betting underdog, the Tigers have gone 1-2 vs the spread. Their overall record in these games was 1-2.
Through their previous five contests as the betting favorite, the Cardinals have a strong record of 4-1. Their record vs the spread in these matchups is 2-3.