X
Skip to content

ACC Rundown: Huge Showdown In Chapel Hill

Get ready for a wild few weeks (months?) in the ACC. With first-place Clemson falling to Wake Forest this past Tuesday, nine teams are separated by just two games in the loss column. All of the teams have played 40% of their conference games.

The conference game generating the attention is Saturday’s Tobacco Road showdown between North Carolina and North Carolina St., with the Wolfpack having a chance to move ahead of their rivals in the ACC standings.

ACC Rundown: Huge Showdown In Chapel Hill
Dereon Seabron #1 of the North Carolina State Wolfpack - Sarah Stier/Getty Images/AFP

The Virginia-Wake Forest contest features two of four teams currently second (tied) in the standings.

Virginia is 10th in both national polls, advancing some three spots in the Associated Press Top 25 rankings, and two positions in the coaches poll.

Miami and Clemson are both in the top 20 in the two polls, but that would change with losses Saturday.

Virginia (+180) is favored to the ACC title. Next are Clemson (+350) and Miami (+450).

According to the college basketball playoff odds, Virginia (+500) is “shortest” in ACC in the odds to reach the Final Four.

Here’s a look at a full slate of ACC Saturday games.

Let’s check the latest college basketball news, stats, injury reports and college basketball lines. We’ve plenty of NCAA basketball picks for you to consider.

Game of the Week

North Carolina St. vs North Carolina

Date, time (TV): Saturday, Jan. 21st, 5 p.m. ET (ACC Network)

North Carolina St. is 4-0 in January, with wins over Duke and Miami. Terquavion Smith has five straight 20-point efforts.

Best Tar Heel news is that national player of the year candidate Armando Bacot didn’t miss a game after suffering what appeared to be a serious ankle injury in the first minute of a loss (Virginia). He’s averaged 17 points, 16 rebounds over the last two.

North Carolina (13-6, 5-3 in ACC) has won eight of the last nine meetings with the Wolfpack (15-4, 5-3), including the last three. Each of the last five matchups finished over the total.

NC St.’s last Chapel Hill win was in 2018 as 12½-point ‘dogs, per the Las Vegas odds.

Other Games to Watch

Miami vs Duke

ACC Rundown: Huge Showdown In Chapel Hill
Kameron McGusty #23 of the Miami Hurricanes – Stacy Revere/Getty Images/AFP
  • Date, time (TV): Saturday, Jan. 21st, 12 noon ET (ESPN)

Miami (15-3, 6-2) needed to overcome an 11-point, second-half deficit against Syracuse to avoid back-to-back losing efforts.

Harlond Beverly scored in double figures off the bench in two of the last three, while Arkansas St. transfer Norchand Omier has three consecutive double-doubles.

Duke (13-5, 4-3) has had a week to get to work since its eight-point loss to Clemson. Freshman Kyle Filipowski was just 8-of-22 before fouling out. Duke is 9-0 at home.

This has quietly become one of the more captivating rivalries in the ACC, with each of the last three games decided by four or fewer points. Miami did cover in each of those. Four of the last five meetings finished over the total.

Syracuse vs Georgia Tech

  • Date, time (TV): Saturday, Jan. 21st, 12 noon ET (ACC NX)

Syracuse (12-7, 5-3) is tending to make things interesting, its last two games decided by five and four points, respectively.

Jesse Edwards is coming off a season-high 25 points.

Georgia Tech (8-10, 1-7) has lost four games in a row, mainly because sophomore Miles Kelly is the only double-digit scorer on the Yellow Jacket roster.

Seven of the last nine meetings have been won by the home team, each of the last three decided by seven or fewer points. Tech has covered in four of the last six.

Virginia vs Wake Forest

ACC Rundown: Huge Showdown In Chapel Hill
Ryan Dunn #13 of the Virginia Cavaliers – Ryan M. Kelly/Getty Images/AFP
  • Date, time (TV): Saturday, Jan. 21st, 2 p.m. ET (ESPNU)

Virginia (14-3, 6-2) has won four games in a row, with Armann Franklin averaging 15.8 points per game. He has connected on 14-of-22 field-goal attempts (6-of-10 3-pointers) in his last two.

Wake Forest (14-5, 6-2) also has four consecutive victories. Tyree Appleby had 24 points as the Demon Deacons handed Clemson its first ACC loss last out.

Wake Forest snapped a nine-game losing streak to the Cavaliers with a 63-55 road win Jan. 15, 2022 as a 3½ -point underdog.

This is the 15th game in a row where Virginia is favored against the Deacons.

Boston College vs Notre Dame

Date, time (TV): Saturday, Jan. 21st, 2 p.m. ET (ACC NX)

The new year began with Boston College topping Notre Dame at home. That was the last victory by the Eagles. Good news with BC is 7-footer Quinten Post gives them another scorer. He is averaging 11.8 points and 5.2 rebounds in his six games this season.

Notre Dame (9-10, 1-7) allowed Florida State to shoot 51% in the last game. More concerning could be the fact that despite playing at home, the Seminoles attempted 15 more foul shots.

Niagara transfer Marcus Hammond has nine 3-pointers (37 points off the bench) in the last two, while the Fighting Irish are 9-4 at home.

Boston College has won three of the last four games against the Fighting Irish, covered in each.

Something to consider if you bet online is Notre Dame is just 3-15-1 against the spread this season, the worst record among all teams in Power-5 conferences.

Florida State vs Pittsburgh

ACC Rundown: Huge Showdown In Chapel Hill
Jamarius Burton #11 of the Pittsburgh Panthers – Grant Halverson/Getty Images/AFP
  • Date, time (TV): Saturday, Jan. 21st, 5 p.m. ET (ACC Network)

FSU’s Matthew Cleveland goes after his ninth straight double-double. Meanwhile, Pitt’s top rebounder, Blake Hinson, is averaging just 10.3 points and 3.7 rebounds over his last three. Regardless, the Panthers (13-6, 6-2) is one four teams in a second-place tie in the ACC.

Three of the last four games between the teams have been decided by seven or fewer points, with Florida State (6-13, 4-4) covering in just one of the last eight.

Pittsburgh is 14-4-1 against the college basketball lines, the best mark in the ACC.

Virginia Tech vs Clemson

Date, time (TV): Saturday, Jan. 21st, 6 p.m. ET (ESPN2)

Virginia Tech (11-7, 1-6) has lost six games in a row, now facing a Clemson team coming off its first conference loss of the season. The Tigers are one of five ACC teams yet to lose at home.

Leading scorer Sean Pedulla has 10 points in each of his last two, but the Hokies need more.

Clemson’s (15-4, 7-1) Hunter Tyson has double-doubles in six of his last seven. He rarely comes off the floor, at least 35 minutes played in each of the last seven.

When the Tigers won, 68-65, on the road earlier this month as a 6½-point underdogs, it was the second victory in the last three meetings. Va. Tech had captured seven of the previous eight. Ten of the last games between the teams finished as single-digit results.

Did you find this article interesting?

Comments (0)

Featured College Basketball Picks

Related News