UAB vs Clemson | Prediction & Pick

Clemson and UAB have at it in the First Four

The Blazers of Alabama-Birmingham and the Tigers of Clemson meet for the very first time in the second game of the Tuesday ‘First Four’ doubleheader in Dayton, with the winner advancing into the second round on Thursday to tangle with the 5th seeded West Virginia Mountaineers.

vs.

UAB (22-8, 12-4 Conference USA) vs. Clemson (21-11, 12-2 ACC)

Date/Time: Tuesday, March 15, 9:10 PM ET
Venue: University of Dayton Arena in Dayton, OH.
Broadcast: TruTV

Money Line: UAB +185, Clemson -200
Spread: Clemson -4 ½
Over/Under: 121 ½

These were two of the last four at-large teams selected for the NCAA Tournament, and under the new format they will play in one of the four first round games, known colloquially as the ‘First Four’.

Click Here for more FREE EXPERT March Madness Basketball Picks

This is the 11th time that the Tigers have played in ‘March Madness’ and it marks the fourth straight season they have qualified. However, Clemson has not won an NCAA tournament game since 1997, when they defeated Miami (OH) and Tulsa to reach the Sweet 16.

For the Blazers, they have been a staple of the tournament in the past, since building their program virtually from scratch in 1978. This is their first appearance since 2006, and their 14th overall. UAB did play in the NIT the last two seasons.

Check out the latest College Basketball Odds here.

Alabama Birmingham won the regular season title in Conference USA, and they have a trio of players that averaged double figures in scoring this season. Jamarr Sanders (17.7 PPG) led the Blazers in points per contest this season, followed by Cameron Moore (14.3 PPG) and Aaron Johnson (12.0 PPG). Moore also grabbed 9.4 rebounds per game, second best in the league, while Johnson led Conference USA with 7.7 assists per contest.

Clemson counters with three capable scorers themselves in Demontez Stitt (14.7 PPG), Jerai grant (12.1 PPG), and Andre Young (10.8 PPG). Grant is the son of Harvey Grant, who played at Oklahoma and is an assistant at Hampton, and the nephew of Clemson legend Horace Grant. The Tigers have been successful this season thanks to their defense, which ranks 15th best in the entire country in fewest points allowed per contest.

This one should be an athletic contest between two teams that like put defensive pressure on their opponents. They both faced Duke and East Carolina as common opponents: Clemson split two games (beating East Carolina) while UAB went 2-2, playing ECU three times.

The odds makers have the Clemson as a -4.5 point favorite with an over/under of 122.5.

Matt’s Free Prediction: Clemson was slotted higher by many bracketologists, so look for them to have more to prove in squeaking by with a narrow victory.

Need more help making your picks winners? Check out our top  handicappers.

Bet the UAB/Clemson basketball game at an online sportsbook that gives you a 50% sign up bonus up to $500 from the website “Where the Line Originates” – Bookmaker.

Clemson Tigers Betting Trends:

• Clemson is 4-1-1 ATS in its last 6 games
• Clemson is 16-7 SU in its last 23 games