Pittsburgh Panthers vs Clemson Tigers Picks and Predictions January 18th 2025

Clemson Looks to Extend Winning Streak Against Home-Dominant Pitt

The Clemson Tigers take their recent momentum on the road as they face the Pittsburgh Panthers in an ACC showdown on Saturday afternoon. Clemson enters the matchup riding a two-game win streak, while Pitt looks to regain form after three consecutive losses, hoping to leverage their strong 9-1 home record.

Clemson Finding Its Rhythm

The Tigers (14-4, 5-1 ACC) have started to hit their stride, securing a 77-57 victory over Florida State last Saturday before following it up with a 70-59 road win over Georgia Tech on Tuesday. Despite some early road struggles (2-3 away record), Clemson has shown improvement in hostile environments.

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Key Contributors for the Tigers

• Chase Hunter (17.4 PPG) – Clemson’s go-to scorer, Hunter has been lethal from beyond the arc, leading the ACC in three-point percentage (44.6%) with 45 made threes this season.
• Ian Schieffelin (12.9 PPG, 10.1 RPG) – A dominant force inside, Schieffelin provides the Tigers with consistent rebounding and interior scoring.
• Del Jones (3.4 PPG, 15 assists) – The freshman guard has been emerging as a valuable bench contributor, with a recent nine-point performance against Florida State, all from beyond the arc.

Clemson head coach Brad Brownell praised Jones for his patience and ability to impact games in limited minutes.

“It’s not easy because he doesn’t know if he’s going to play 15 minutes, five minutes, three minutes,” Brownell said. “There’s been a couple of games where he’s gone in, Stanford in particular, where he really wasn’t ready mentally.”

With Hunter leading the perimeter attack and Schieffelin anchoring the paint, Clemson will look to establish early control to avoid playing from behind on the road.

Pitt Aiming to Bounce Back at Home

The Panthers (12-5, 3-3 ACC) have hit a rough patch, dropping three straight games, including an 82-70 loss to Florida State on Wednesday. However, they’ve been dominant at home, where they boast a 9-1 record this season.

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Key Players for Pitt

• Jaland Lowe (17.5 PPG) – Considered an NBA prospect, Lowe has been Pittsburgh’s most dynamic scorer, registering seven 20+ point performances this season, including in each of the last two games.
• Ishmael Leggett (16.5 PPG) – A consistent offensive presence who provides additional scoring firepower.

Lowe led the Panthers with 22 points against Florida State, continuing his hot streak. If Pitt is to get back on track, he will need another big performance against Clemson’s defense.

Can Clemson Overcome Road Struggles?

With Pitt playing its best basketball at home, Clemson will need to set the tone early to avoid falling behind in a tough environment. The Tigers’ ability to knock down outside shots, led by Hunter’s elite three-point shooting, will be crucial.

Can Clemson continue its winning streak, or will Pitt protect its home court and snap its skid? Saturday’s ACC clash will provide the answer.