Duke vs. Clemson Prediction, Game Preview

The Duke Blue Devils will make the trip to Greenville, S.C. to play the Clemson Tigers in Bon Secours Wellness Arena. Below is the Duke vs. Clemson prediction and game preview.

Duke vs. Clemson Game Preview

Game Broadcast

Date: Wednesday, Jan. 13
Game Time: 7:00 p.m. ET
Venue: Bon Secours Wellness Arena, Greenville, S.C.
Network: ESPN2

Why You Need To Care

It hasn’t been the typical Blue Devils dominance that we’re used to seeing so far this season, but No. 9 Duke is still playing good basketball right now with a 14-2 overall record and a 3-0 start to ACC play.

Duke enters this matchup riding a five-game winning streak since it’s last loss to Utah nearly a month ago.

Clemson will certainly have a lot on its plate as it welcomes Mike Krzyzewski and his squad. The Tigers are 10-6 overall and 3-1 in conference play.

After dropping three games in a row towards the end of December, Clemson started the new year off right with three straight wins — including a surprising 66-62 victory over Louisville its last time out.

Why Duke Will Win

Marshall Plumlee has been hot and cold this season, but his 21 points and 10 rebounds against Virginia Tech were encouraging. Will he reach double figures for a third straight game? Even if he doesn’t, he’ll contribute big time on the boards. Brandon Ingram will carry the scoring load while Grayson Allen pours in double figures, too. Matt Jones will space the floor with the three-point threat, and Derryck Thornton will stack up a handful of assists.

Why Clemson Will Win

Jaron Blossomgame needs to find his shots early and settle into a rhythm. He’s Clemson’s biggest scoring threat, and he’ll need to balance out his attack by knocking down the long ball and attacking the rim, thus drawing fouls and getting to the line. Jordan Roper and Avry Holmes have to be secondary scorers in this one. The trio went 23-of-31 from the charity stripe against Louisville, and if they can get Duke into foul trouble and pick up free points in the process, they’ll put the Tigers in a good position to win.

What’s Going To Happen?

Blossomgame is going to let everyone know that he means business by getting into double figures by the end of the first half. He’ll also pull down some rebounds, but he won’t get much help in that battle. Allen and Ingram will get whatever they want on the offensive end, and Thornton’s athleticism will play a huge factor in getting up and down the floor on Clemson and finding his teammates for easy looks.