Duke Blue Devils vs Clemson Tigers: ACC Tournament Semifinal Odds, Spread, and Total
Two teams who survived anxious ACC Tournament quarterfinals will meet in a Friday semifinal when the No. 1-seeded Duke Blue Devils battle the No. 5-seeded Clemson Tigers in Charlotte at…
Two teams who survived anxious ACC Tournament quarterfinals will meet in a Friday semifinal when the No. 1-seeded Duke Blue Devils battle the No. 5-seeded Clemson Tigers in Charlotte at 9:30 p.m. EST. Clemson has opened as a double-digit underdog for a clash with cautious point-total betting. No. 2-seeded Virginia is favored to beat No. 3 Miami in Friday's earlier tipoff.
The Blue Devils were on the brink of elimination in Thursday's nip-and-tuck contest with underdog Florida State. Seminoles senior Robert McCray V missed a three-point attempt at the buzzer, which would have given FSU the upset, but Duke owes much of its 80-79 victory to the sophomore guard Isaiah Evans, who drained seven treys and finished with 32 points. Clemson, meanwhile, held off a last-minute surge from North Carolina to defeat the wounded No. 4 seed by an identical 80-79 score on Thursday night.
Clemson defended better than most Duke opponents when the Blue Devils tripped the Tigers 67-54 in the schools' regular-season meeting on Feb. 14. The Tigers' problem was that their offense was rendered ineffective in ways that even the creaky scoreboard didn't illustrate, earning just 10 charity shots and disposing of only 10 assists. Duke can reach its fourth ACC Tournament championship game in five postseasons by winning Friday's rematch. Clemson hasn't played in an ACC final since 2008.
Spread
- Blue Devils -11.5 (-101)
- Tigers +11.5 (-113)
Money line
- Blue Devils -667
- Tigers +475
Total
- Over 134.5 (-111)
- Under 134.5 (-103)
The above data was collected on March 13, 2026, and may have changed since writing.
Duke Blue Devils vs Clemson Tigers Betting Trends
- The Duke Blue Devils have won nine consecutive games.
- Clemson has beaten the spread in four of the last six meetings.
- Duke has won its last four ACC Tournament semifinals.
Duke Blue Devils vs Clemson Tigers Injury Reports
Duke Blue Devils
- Guard Caleb Foster is out with a foot injury.
- Center Ifeanyi Ufochukwu is out with a knee injury.
- Center Patrick Ngongba II is out with a foot injury.
Clemson Tigers
- Forward Carter Welling is out with a knee injury.
- Forward Trent Steinour is out with an undisclosed injury.
- Guard Zac Foster is out with a knee injury.
Duke Blue Devils vs Clemson Tigers Predictions and Picks
Duke's issues are not the product of a lazy No. 1 seed in a conference tournament. Cameron Boozer played nearly all of the Florida State game, but was limited to just two buckets in a first half which ended with the Blue Devils trailing by a point. Duke was outshot 51.9% to 43.8% by FSU, but the Blue Devils won by hustling for rebounds, snagging 44 boards to FSU's 24.
UNC has had to revamp its offense following the injury loss of guard Caleb Wilson. Duke, missing its own "Caleb" in standout Caleb Foster, simply gave Evans more leeway and kept on rolling. Writing of the Blue Devils' response to the Seminoles' scary eight-point lead early in the second half, recapper Brian Stultz of Duke Wire wrote, "(Boozer and Evans) scored 15 of the Blue Devils' next 19 points as (Duke) went on a 19-2 run, capped by an and-one by ACC Player of the Year Boozer."
Clemson was smart, disciplined, and patient while building its second-half lead over UNC, but the Tigers didn't do anything nearly so spectacular in Friday's late game. Still, the Blue Devils can't be considered locks to win or cover after nearly blowing it in their first postseason appearance. Expect another tight contest full of drama as Duke attempts to conquer the ACC bracket for a third time in four years.
