FSU basketball: Noles betting favorites heading into Clemson rematch

A lot has changed since FSU basketball (8-2, 4-1 ACC) lost to Clemson in late December. The Noles have rattled off three consecutive wins, including a blowout over No. 16 Louisville in their last outing.

The Tigers (9-3, 3-3 ACC) are coming off back-to-back blowout losses against Virginia and Georgia Tech.

The loss to Clemson seemed to light a fire under this FSU basketball team. They went two weeks without playing after that game due to the holidays and issues with COVID-19.

However, Leonard Hamilton worked magic to get this team to play at a different level than earlier.

I documented some of the changes a couple of days ago here, but mainly it’s playing smarter and players becoming more familiar with their roles.

The Noles are -7.5 betting favorites heading into the contest after losing by 10 points just under a month ago.

The game is at the Tucker Center, where they have won nearly 20 consecutive ACC games. Clemson is coming off two bad losses, and the Noles have looked like one of the best teams in the nation.

The first game was simple. Clemson attacked the rim, and got to the free-throw line 33 times, and forced FSU to settle for three-point shots. Clemson was +18  from the free-throw line.

The Noles have been attacking more and relying less on the three-point shot, which has made their offense more dynamic. They got crushed on the boards against Clemson in the first game, but have been giving more effort there, while also not turning the ball over as much.

It’s a simple game when you break it down, and the Noles have been doing all of the little things to be successful. If they continue to do that, I like their chances to avenge their loss to Clemson and enter back into the top 25 rankings next week.