Miami (12-5) at Syracuse (12-5) – 12pm ESPN2
After losing to rival Florida State, Miami travels up north for a quick turnaround against Syracuse. The Canes started the season 11-2, but they have lost 3 of their last 4. After a blowout loss to North Carolina, the Orange bounced back with a 69-58 win at Pittsburgh Tuesday night.
The matchup to watch is between Wooga Poplar from Miami and Judah Mintz from Syracuse. Poplar is averaging 15.9 pts, 4.9 reb, and 2.3 ast per game He is also shooting 47.6% from 3-point range. Mintz is playing at an all-conference level, scoring 18.4 points per game and shooting 46.4 % from 3 at home. Both teams need their guy to perform well to earn a win on Saturday.
Line: Syracuse -1.5
Virginia Tech (10-7) at NC State (13-4) 12pm CW
Saturday’s matchup in Raleigh has a tale of two different teams coming to play. Virginia Tech has lost 4 out of 5, including a 65-57 loss to rival Virginia. NC State has won 4 of 5 and is looking to continue building momentum in conference play.
Sean Pedulla has been on fire recently, scoring 27.3 over his last 4 games. NC State has to make sure he is covered at all times and have someone else beat them. The Wolfpack are coming off an emotional, physical game against Wake Forest which saw a handful of technical fouls and even their head coach being ejected.
Line: NC State – 3.5
Louisville (6-11) at Wake Forest (12-5) 12pm ESPNU
This is an interesting matchup for Wake Forest on Saturday. The Demon Deacons are coming off that emotional loss to NC State and now have Louisville. The Cards have lost 4 of their last 5, but the one win was on the road at Miami. That win was a great reminder that you have to be on your game every night in the ACC.
A player to watch in this game is Andrew Carr for Wake Forest. The forward has 28 points and was 3-4 from 3 at NC State. Louisville has guards that can score, but they need to keep an eye on Carr on the defensive end. Wake Forest is favored by double-digits, but they cannot let Louisville hang around late in the 2nd Half.
Line: Wake Forest -14.5
#4 North Carolina (14-3) at Boston College (11-6) 2:15pm CW
North Carolina has shown they are the favorite to win the league so far this season. The Tar Heels are #4 in the country, have won 7 in a row, and are undefeated in ACC play. They travel up north to Boston College where the Eagles are trying to build some momentum in the ACC.
The matchup to watch in this game is inside with Armando Bacot of UNC and Quinten Post from BC. Bacot is having another excellent season in what feels like his 12th year in Chapel Hill. Bacot is averaging 14.8 pts, 10.5 reb, and 1.9 blk per game. Bacot has gotten more notoriety, but Quinten Post is also very good for Boston College. Post leads the team with 16.9 pts and 7.4 rebounds per game. I think this game ends up being a little closer than people might guess.
Line: North Carolina -6.5
Clemson (12-5) at Florida State (11-6) 4pm ACCN
Clemson and Florida State are coming into this matchup in different forms. Clemson has lost 4 of 5 after a strong start to the season, including a heartbreaking double overtime loss to Georgia Tech. Florida State has won 5 in a row, including defeating rival Miami 84-75 on Wednesday.
The key stat to watch is Florida State creates 9.4 steals per game. The Seminoles’s length can create problems for teams on offense and Clemson has had some turnover problems the last few games. PJ Hall had a career-high 31 points and 17 rebounds on Tuesday, but the aspect to watch for Clemson is how do they respond after letting the game against Georgia Tech getaway.
Line: Clemson -2.5
Virginia (12-5) at Georgia Tech (9-8) 6pm ACCN
We have an interesting matchup in Atlanta on Saturday night. Virginia is trying to get their 1st road win of the year and Georgia Tech is trying to build on the momentum from their big win at Clemson in OT on Tuesday.
Virginia wants to slow the game down, play good defense, and run offensive sets. Georgia Tech will want to get the tempo faster and let their young guards play freely. Even though Georgia Tech is only 9-8, they have been a tough out in the league (ask Duke). Virginia has played much differently on the road than at home. This feels like a close matchup, coming down to a one-possession game.
Line: Virginia -1.5
Pitt (10-7) at #7 Duke (13-3) 8pm ACCN
Pitt comes into the matchup having lost 4 out of their last 5 while Duke has won 8 in a row. The two teams recently played in Pittsburgh where the Blue Devils won handily 75-53. In that game, Kyle Filipowski had 26 points, 10 rebounds, and was 4-4 from 3-point range.
For Pitt to have a chance in this game, they need to keep it close in the 1st Half and make Duke take tough outside shots. A key player in the game is Blake Hinson. He is averaging 18.1 ppg and is shooting 39.2% from outside. Hinson however only had 9 points in the first matchup and has only scored over 12 points in 1 of their last 5 games. If Filipowski plays like he normally does at home, it could be a long day for the Panthers.
Line: Duke -13.5