ACC Rundown: Huge Showdown In Chapel Hill
There could be a change at the top of the ACC standings this weekend with Clemson leading Virginia by a half-game. There are seven teams separated by two games in the loss column.
Four of them are set to square off on Saturday when North Carolina plays at Duke, who are both unranked. Miami meets Clemson in a showdown of ranked teams.
Pittsburgh, coming off a one-point win over North Carolina on Wednesday, is the lone ACC team not in action on Saturday.
Virginia moved up from sixth to fourth in the coaches’ poll and from seventh to sixth in the Associated Press Tobp 25 poll. Clemson jumped four spots to No. 19 in the coaches’ poll and No. 20 in the AP rankings. Miami is 21st in the coaches’ poll and 23rd in the AP rankings.
North Carolina, North Carolina State, Duke and Pittsburgh are receiving votes in both national polls.
According to the college basketball playoff odds, Virginia (+2500) is eighth in the odds to win the national title. North Carolina (+3300) and Duke (+5000) aren’t far behind.
Virginia (-220) is favored to the ACC title with Clemson priced at +320.
Here’s a look at a full slate of ACC games being played on Saturday.
Let’s check the latest college basketball news, stats, injury reports and college basketball lines. We’ve got plenty of NCAA basketball picks for you to consider.
Game of the Week
North Carolina vs Duke
- Date, time (TV): Saturday, Feb. 4, 6:30 p.m. ET (ESPN)
This is just the third time since the start of the 1961-62 season when Duke and North Carolina are both unranked heading into a matchup. Both teams were ranked in the top 10 40 times and one of them was the top-ranked team 24 times during that stretch.
Freshman Kyle Filipowski has five double-doubles over the last six games as he is putting up 21 points and 11.8 rebounds per game during that stretch for Duke (16-6, 7-4 in the ACC).
🗡️🗡️🗡️🗡️ @kylefilipowski pic.twitter.com/MXZekU7d8U
— Duke Men’s Basketball (@DukeMBB) February 1, 2023
What is this world coming to when North Carolina loses at home after an opponent is awarded two free throws in the final seconds of a one-point game? The 65-64 loss to Pittsburgh is not the best way to head into the showdown with Duke. Armando Bacot had another double-double, but he was just 3 of 10 from the field in the loss for North Carolina (15-7, 8-4).
Duke is one of four ACC teams still undefeated at home while North Carolina is 2-4 on the road. The Blue Devils have covered against the Las Vegas odds in just eight of its 22 games. North Carolina is only 7-13-2 against the spread.
Each of the last seven games between the Blue Devils and Tar Heels finished over the total and that includes North Carolina’s 81-77 win in the 2022 NCAA Tournament. That was North Carolina’s fourth win in the last five meetings. It was also just the second time in the last six games to be decided by single digits.
Rest of Saturday’s Schedule
Virginia Cavaliers vs Virginia Tech Hokies
- Date, time (TV): Saturday, Feb. 4, Noon ET (ESPN2)
Virginia has put the pressure on ACC-leading Clemson with a seven-game winning streak. Six of those victories are by 10 points or less.
The Hokies (13-9, 3-8) would be wise to avoid putting Kihei Clark at the foul line as he is 17 of 18 from the stripe over the last five games, while Armaan Franklin has five straight games with at least two 3-pointers for Virginia (17-3, 9-2).
Sean Pedulla has played every minute in four of the last seven games while Hunter Cattoor has consecutive games with 20 points for Virginia Tech.
When Virginia topped Virginia Tech 78-68 on Jan. 18, that ended a run of five straight games in the series to finish under the total.
Virginia has won six of the last eight meetings and has covered in each of those victories.
Wake Forest vs Notre Dame
- Date, time (TV): Saturday, Feb. 4, 1:00 p.m. ET (ACC NX)
Wake Forest (14-9, 6-6) has dropped four games in a row with each of the last three losses coming by two points. The defense needed to offer a little more resistance after Pittsburgh, North Carolina State and Duke shot 48% from the field in the last three matchups.
Leading scorer Tyree Appleby has shot less than 50% from the field in each of the last seven games for the Demon Deacons. He has helped Wake Forest top the ACC with 16 games going over the college basketball betting lines total.
Freshman J.J. Starling is averaging 20 points and 6.5 rebounds over the last two games for Notre Dame (10-12, 2-9).
Wake Forest is looking for back-to-back wins against the Fighting Irish for the first time since 2014.
Seven of the last eight games in the series finished over the total while the home team has won the last four regular-season games.
Georgia Tech vs NC State
- Date, time (TV): Saturday, Feb. 4, 1:00 p.m. ET (ACC Network)
Georgia Tech shot just 29.5% from the field in a loss to cellar-dwelling Louisville on Wednesday. Kyle Sturdivant and Miles Kelly combined for 33 of the Yellow Jackets’ 58 points as Georgia Tech lost its eighth game in a row. The Yellow Jackets (8-14, 1-11) fell into last place in the ACC with the loss.
Terquavion Smith had 32 points, one shy of his season-high, as North Carolina State rolled to a 94-66 win over Florida State as the Wolfpack (18-5, 8-4) won for the seventh time in the last eight games.
Georgia Tech had won six of seven against NC State. However, the Wolfpack captured the last two games. When the teams met in Atlanta on Jan. 17, Terquavion Smith had 25 points in a 78-66 victory.
Florida State vs Louisville
- Date, time ( TV): Saturday, Feb. 4, 2:00 p.m. ET (ESPN2)
Louisville (3-19, 1-10) is coming off its second ACC win of the season with Jae’lyn Withers leading the way in a 10-point win over visiting Georgia Tech with 19 points and 13 rebounds as the Cardinals snapped a 10-game losing streak,
It is not often that a team shoots 48% from the field and loses by 28 points. However, that is what transpired in a loss to North Carolina State on Wednesday as they lost for the third game in a row. Opponents are shooting 44.6% from 3-point range in those three games against Florida State (7-16, 5-7).
Florida State is looking for its seventh win in a row against Louisville, with the average margin of victory being 14.8 points.
Six straight games in the series finished over the total before the Dec. 10 meeting went well under the 138.5-point total. Caleb Mills had 16 points in the Seminoles’ 75-53 victory.
Miami vs Clemson
- Date, time (TV): Saturday, Feb. 4, 3:00 p.m. ET (ACC Network)
In most weeks, the only matchup between ranked teams would be the headliner. Thanks to the North Carolina-Duke rivalry, that is not the case with this game.
Clemson (18-5, 10-2) saw its three-game winning streak come to an end as the Tigers managed just 54 points in a road loss to Boston College.
Hunter Tyson has back-to-back 20-point efforts as he is averaging 24.5 points and 7.5 rebounds with 10 3-pointers in those two games.
Miami went 6-0 in December but has not won back-to-back games since. That can change on Saturday after Norchad Omier’s 21 points and eight rebounds led four Hurricanes’ starters scoring in double figures in a win over Virginia Tech on Tuesday.
Miami (17-5, 8-4) has won the last two matchups, both coming in 2021.
Nine of the last 10 meetings went over the total with nine straight matchups in the series being decided by single digits.
Syracuse vs Boston College
- Date, time (TV): Saturday, Feb. 4, 5:00 p.m. ET (ACC Network)
Syracuse has lost three games in a row despite freshman Judah Mintz averaging 19.3 points and 3.7 assists during that stretch.
Syracuse (13-10, 6-6) has been outscored by 30 points on 3-pointers and is -10 on offensive rebounds in those games.
Boston College (11-12, 5-7) is coming off a win over first-place Clemson the last time out with MakaiAshton-Langford leading the way with 15 points and six of the Eagles’ 11 steals.
Quinten Post is averaging 21.3 points and 7.5 rebounds as the Eagles are 3-1 over the last four games.
Syracuse has won nine straight against Boston College. That included a 79-65 win on Dec. 31 as a nine-point favorite at home behind 24 points from Joseph Girard III.
