The Clemson Tigers will look to start conference play on the right note when they face the Syracuse Orange in the teams’ ACC opener Wednesday at JMA Wireless Dome in New York.
Clemson (10-3) closed out its nonconference schedule with a narrow 68-65 win over the Cincinnati Bearcats on Dec. 21 at Littlejohn Coliseum. The Tigers had a 38-18 lead at halftime but had to hold on in the second half as Cincinnati cut the lead to one in the closing seconds.
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Dillon Hunter made four clutch free throws in the final seven seconds to preserve Clemson’s victory.
Syracuse (9-4) will enter the game on a three-game winning streak. The Orange have won five of their last six, including a 62-60 upset of the No. 13 Tennessee Volunteers in the ACC/SEC Challenge on Dec. 2. Senior guard J.J. Starling leads Syracuse in scoring with 11.3 points per game in 11 starts.
Will Clemson beat Syracuse? ESPN’s prediction
Ahead of Clemson’s ACC opener at Syracuse, ESPN Analytics has its odds for Wednesday’s game.
ESPN’s matchup predictor, which offers a prediction model based on its college basketball power index and other variables, gives Clemson a 61.3% chance to win and Syracuse a 38.7% chance.
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The Tigers are 24th in ESPN’s latest BPI ratings. Clemson has a 14.9 overall BPI rating (7.3 offense, 7.6 defense). Syracuse has a 9.0 rating that’s 67th in ESPN’s metrics.
Clemson basketball projected record, updated strength of schedule ranking
ESPN’s BPI gives Clemson an overall record projection of 22.1-8.9 overall, including 12.1-5.9 in ACC play. Moreover, the Tigers are given a 4.6% chance to win the ACC.
Clemson’s remaining strength of schedule is ranked 77th nationally by ESPN’s metrics.
ACC basketball teams ranked by ESPN BPI entering conference opener
GREENSBORO, NORTH CAROLINA – MARCH 16: A detail view a Wilson basketball as it sits beside the ACC logo on the court is seen during a practice session ahead of the first round of the NCAA Men’s Basketball Tournament at Greensboro Coliseum on March 16, 2023 in Greensboro, North Carolina. (Photo by Jared C. Tilton/Getty Images)
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18. Boston College Eagles (-0.6 BPI)
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17. Georgia Tech Yellow Jackets (2.1 BPI)
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15. Stanford Cardinal (6.6 BPI)
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14. Virginia Tech Hokies (6.9 BPI)
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13. Pittsburgh Panthers (7.8 BPI)
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12. California Golden Bears (8.1 BPI)
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11. Syracuse Orange (9.0 BPI)
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9. Wake Forest Demon Deacons (10.6 BPI)
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8. SMU Mustangs (11.4 BPI)
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7. Miami Hurricanes (12.8 BPI)
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6. Virginia Cavaliers (14.3 BPI)
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3. NC State Wolfpack (15.1 BPI)
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2. Louisville Cardinals (21.2 BPI)
What is ESPN College Basketball Power Index (FPI)?
ESPN explains:
The College Basketball Power Index (BPI) is a measure of team strength that is meant to be the best predictor of performance going forward. BPI represents how many points above or below average a team is. Strength of Record (SOR) is a measure of team accomplishment based on how difficult a team’s W-L record is to achieve. Game predictions account for opponent strength, pace of play, site, travel distance, day’s rest and altitude, and are used to simulate the season 10,000 times to produce season projections. Numbers update daily.”
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Clemson basketball vs. Syracuse start time, TV info for ACC opener
Tipoff for Clemson-Syracuse in Week 9 of the 2025-26 men’s college basketball season is 2 p.m. ET Wednesday at JMA Wireless Dome in Syracuse. The game can be seen on ESPN2. Wes Durham and Dennis Scott will have the TV call of the game.
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This article originally appeared on Clemson Wire: Clemson basketball odds of beating Syracuse in ACC opener, per ESPN
