This has been a bit of an odd start to the college basketball season, with the top teams going on losing runs that are hard to explain. Top 10 teams have been dropping like flies all this week, and the Kansas Jayhawks, who previously looked like the best team in the country, are in the midst of a 2-game losing skid. Perhaps even more surprising than the Kansas collapse is the 3-game losing run that the Florida Gators recently went on a run that dropped them all the way down to #22 in the rankings, which is why is hard to think of them as a lock NCAAB pick.
This is a team that many had pegged as a potential National Championship pick this year, so their precipitous drop is all the more alarming when you take that into account. The Gators did get back on track with a win in their last game, but have another tricky one coming up on Saturday afternoon when they welcome in the Clemson Tigers. The Tigers only have one loss on the season, so they are not likely to be intimidated by the Gators, especially since their opponent is looking a little fragile right now.
Since that loss, the Tigers have put together 4-straight wins, and have been getting those W’s in some considerable style. During this stretch, they have been averaging almost 82 PPG, up from their 79 PPG average, and have been giving up 63 PPG, which is right in line with what they have been doing defensively through their first 9 games.
It is certainly going to be interesting to see how they hold up on the defensive side of the court against a ranked opponent.
Clemson at Florida Expert Analysis & NCAAB Pick
Yes, we have more to add to the Book of Eli.
Elijah Thomas is one of just 10 players in the country to be averaging at least 12.0 points, 8.8 rebounds and 1.75 blocks per game 👀#ClemsonGrit💪 pic.twitter.com/srDxC5VesY — Clemson Men’s Basketball (@ClemsonMBB) 13 de diciembre de 2017
- When: Saturday, December 16 at 4:30 PM EST
- Where: BB&T Center, Sunrise
- TV: FS1
- Radio: 105.5 FM (Clemson) / 93.1 FM (Florida)
- NCAAB Lines: TBA
Team Records
- All: Clemson Tigers 8-1 / Florida Gators 6-3
- Home: Clemson Tigers 5-1 / Florida Gators 4-3
- Away: Clemson Tigers 3-0 / Florida Gators 2-0
- As Favorite: Clemson Tigers 4-1 / Florida Gators 5-2
- As Underdog: Clemson Tigers 1-0 / Florida Gators 1-1
- ATS: Clemson Tigers 4-2 / Florida Gators 5-4
- Over/Under: Clemson Tigers 3-3 / Florida Gators 5-3
Why should Florida be your NCAAB Pick?
The 3-game losing skid for the Florida Gators started with a loss that was probably not totally unexpected, as they went down 87-84 to the Duke Blue Devils, who were ranked #1 in the nation at that time. The follow-up loss to the Florida State Seminoles was a little tougher to swallow, while a 65-59 loss to Loyola-Illinois is almost impossible to explain. There was a danger of the rot really starting to set in after that final loss, but the Gators were able to get their act together with a 66-60 win over a ranked Cincinnati Bearcats team, taking their record on the season to 6-3. Given their schedule, if it had been suggested that the Gators would be 6-3 at this stage of the season, people would have had a hard time believing it. Florida is averaging 87.6 PPG, which is respectable enough, but they need to tighten up in the defensive side of the court, where they are giving up 76.9 PPG, which has them way down in the defensive rankings.Team Statistics
Offense- Total Score: 87.56
- Field Goal Percentage: 45.98
- Three-Point Percentage: 39.71
- Free Thrown Percentage: 77.31
- Total Rebounds: 37.67
- Total Score: 76.89
- Field Goal Percentage: 43.92
- Three-Point Percentage: 34.54
- Free Thrown Percentage: 78.77
- Total Rebounds: 36.33
Why should Clemson be your NCAAB Pick?
The Clemson Tigers may not yet have faced a ranked opponent, but they still need to be given credit for the way they have gone about their business in the early part of the season. They come into this one with an 8-1 record and have been in a particularly good run of form since losing their only game of the season to the Temple Owls.
Since that loss, the Tigers have put together 4-straight wins, and have been getting those W’s in some considerable style. During this stretch, they have been averaging almost 82 PPG, up from their 79 PPG average, and have been giving up 63 PPG, which is right in line with what they have been doing defensively through their first 9 games.
It is certainly going to be interesting to see how they hold up on the defensive side of the court against a ranked opponent.
Team Statistics
Offense- Total Score: 79.78
- Field Goal Percentage: 50.10
- Three-Point Percentage: 34.85
- Free Thrown Percentage: 75.00
- Total Rebounds: 37.33
- Total Score: 63.89
- Field Goal Percentage: 41.04
- Three-Point Percentage: 35.50
- Free Thrown Percentage: 66.10
- Total Rebounds: 30.67
Latest NCAAB Betting Trends
- Tigers are 8-1 SU in their last 9 games
- Tigers are 1-3-1 ATS in their last 5 games on the road
- Gators are 18-7 SU in their last 25 games
- Gators are 2-4 ATS in their last 6 games
- The UNDER is 5-0 in the Gators’ last five games following a SU loss
