Clemson Enters NCAA Tournament as Slight Underdog to Rutgers

Clemson is a 2-point underdog to Rutgers in their first-round game in the Midwest Region while the points total is 125.5 on Friday.

If Clemson makes a deep run in the NCAA tournament, it won't just be good for the program.

There are opportunities to line some pockets as well. The seventh-seeded Tigers in the Midwest Region take on 10th-seeded Rutgers as a 2-point underdog Friday at 9:20 p.m.

Taking Clemson straight up is worth +105 in what oddmakers and experts think will be a close game, so there's some real value there. 

This is expected to be a defensive battle as well as both teams excel on that end of the court. Rutgers led the Big Ten in steals per game and is one of the best shot-blocking squads in the nation while the Tigers play that aggressive, shut-down pressure style of Brad Brownell basketball that helped them go 16-7 this season. 

Clemson has covered the spread just twice in the last six games and went 3-5 against the spread as an underdog this season. 

The total is set at 125.5 points, which is down about a point from the opening line. And with a close game expected, points will very likely be at a premium.

The Tigers are +3300 to win the Midwest Region and reach their first-ever Final Four, according to betonline.ag. If Clemson survives the first round, a likely matchup with Houston looms, but this isn't the toughest subregion to get out of. However, No. 1 seed Illinois, one of the most balanced teams in the country, would likely be the team to beat in the Elite Eight. 

If the Illini get knocked out early and Clemson gets out, those long odds could be worth a shot right now. However, if you think the Tigers can win it all, you aren't going to like your chances. Brownell's squad is +20000 to cut down the nets in Indy.