posted February 27, 2008 at 17:29 in NCAA B Free Picks

BetUS NCAA College Basketball Betting Odds: CLEMSON -8.5, Total 147

The Clemson Tigers (19-7 SU, 14-10 ATS) are mindful of their last trip to south Florida, when they lost a close one to the Miami Hurricanes (19-7 SU, 13-4-2 ATS). On Wednesday night the two teams meet up again, this time at the Littlejohn Coliseum at Clemson. This Atlantic Coast Conference matchup begins at 7:30 PM ET.

In the BetUS NCAA college basketball betting odds, Clemson is listed as an 8.5-point favorite, with the total posted at 147 points.

Here are some of the NCAA college basketball betting trends as they relate to this matchup:

* MIA has won and covered four of its last five games

* MIA is 9-2-2 ATS in its last 13 road games

* MIA has lost four of its last six road games

* MIA has played four of its last six road games OVER the total

* CLEM has covered four of its last six games

* CLEM has played six of its last seven games UNDER the total

* CLEM has won its last five home games SU

* CLEM has covered four of its last five home games

* MIA has covered the last six meetings

* MIA has won six of the last seven meetings SU

* Four of the last five meetings have gone UNDER the total

* MIA has had the shooting edge in four of the last six meetings

* CLEM has made more three-pointers in five of the last six meetings

Miami is playing well, registering wins over Georgia Tech and Virginia Tech - which wouldn't be that significant except for the fact that they were on the road - and at home against Duke and Maryland. All of this has raised their RPI rating to #23, which gives them a much better shot at making the NCAA tournament as an at-large team.

Clemson laid an egg in its last outing, shooting 31% from the floor and 52% from the line in losing a nine-point decision to Florida State. Now they have had a lot of time to get ready for this rematch. If you recall, the Tigers went to Miami and faded down the stretch in losing by a 75-72 score last time. Right now the pressure is on Clemson, which scored wins over NCAA-bound Mississippi State and Purdue in the non-conference schedule, but no real marquee wins since ACC play began.

Revenge is certainly on the agenda, but the some of the Tigers' key players are not so super-hot right now. Terrence Oglesby, the freshman who started out hot from three-point range, is only 31% from beyond the arc in his last seven outings. James Mays, who was tabbed as a possible first-round NBA draft choice, has been in single digits in four of his last five games, with 35% shooting. Meanwhile, Miami's Jack McClinton, who may be the best three-point shooter and free throw shooter in the ACC, scored 22 against Duke after netting 23 against Georgia Tech.

We'll go with Miami to keep things close, so we grab the points with 'Canes, the 8.5-point underdogs in the BetUS NCAA basketball betting odds.

JAY'S PLAY: MIAMI-FL

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(Charles Jay of http://www.eBookies.com gives it the old college try as a regular contributor to the BetUS Locker Room)