NCAA Basketball is Heating Up.
The Jimmy V Classic is hoops for a cause, which we’ll always get behind.
But the action on the court is what matters for college basketball betting fans. And it features four teams – including the winners of the past 3 National Championship titles – that are all aiming to be in the mix later in the season when March Madness comes around.
The pressure and the spotlight of playing on national TV and at Madison Square Garden will be good training for the madness to come. And this early-season test will also start to separate the top teams from the pack.
Clemson vs. BYU
The Clemson Tigers hung tight against #8 Alabama just a week ago before eventually going down 90-84.
That game included a comeback from 19 down against the Tide to get to a 2-point lead with just over two minutes to play, so the Tigers (7-2) have already shown they can hang with any team. They’ll need that if they want to keep things close and have a shot at an upset against BYU.
Clemson’s already in a tough grind in the powerful ACC. That 7-2 record is only good enough to put them in the middle of the pack, three wins behind the leading Duke Blue Devils but only two wins ahead of last-place Pittsburgh.
The Jimmy V game gives them a chance to start separating from the mid-level grind and get recognized when it matters most, Selection Sunday next March. Now, in NYC on national TV, is as good a time as any to start making noise.
The Tigers’ secret is balance. Don’t expect the team’s leading scorer RJ Godfrey to go off for 25 anytime soon, but he doesn’t need to. Clemson has two other players averaging double digits, Jestin Porter and Carter Welling. Godfrey can step up when needed, like he did against ‘Bama with 19 points, but it’s the Tigers’ size up front overall that can wear down a team like BYU, especially late in the game.
The Clemson-BYU point spread is hovering around -6.0 for the Cougars, but live betting to watch if Godfrey is hot might provide an edge late for Clemson bettors.
The Cougars are sitting with a nearly identical record to Clemson’s at 7-1. That’s also only good for the middle of the pack in a stacked Big 12 that includes the country’s #1 team, Arizona.
BYU also showed it can definitely play with the top college basketball teams in the country, with that single loss coming against 86-84 to UConn.
Everyone knows that AJ Dybantsa is the engine that runs the Cougars this season, even though he’s just a freshman. The number 1 rated player in the 2025 freshman class (Cameron Boozer at Duke is having his say right now too) is already averaging over 19 ppg. He’s also primed to go off on the national stage at the Jimmy V classic – his dunks are already legendary and the MSG crowd will be ready.
Dybantsa is one of 4 BYU players averaging in double digits. The top one, Senior Richie Saunders, is averaging 18 ppg and can help take the load off when Dybantsa is getting doubled.
The betting angle for BYU vs. Clemson at the Jimmy V Classic? Look for the early stages of the game to see how Dybantsa is handling the pressure. But even if he’s not dominating, the Cougars have too many weapons to ignore this season. They went to the Sweet 16 last year and have only gotten better with the addition of Dybantsa.
Florida vs. UConn
The second part of the Jimmy V Classic doubleheader brings UConn back to the spotlight after their recent run of two straight national titles was interrupted by Florida eight months ago.
Even though the Gators took the title last season, UConn is sitting comfortably in the top 5 in NCAAM odds and the AP Top 25 to take home the National Championship next April.
The Gators were at +4000 to win March Madness before last season, so you know they’re ok with the underdog role here. Plus, after taking the L against Duke last week, you have to figure they’re going to be looking for redemption on the national stage. It was Florida’s third loss of the year, and we’re not even 10 games in. Not a great look for the reigning national champs.
That’s to be expected, of course. The Gators were hit harder than almost any other team in the country in the offseason, losing Walter Clayton Jr, Will Richard and Alijah Martin. But Florida’s still at #18 in the top 25 and two of those losses came to powerhouse teams like Arizona and the Blue Devils. They lost by just a single point to Duke.
Side note: of interest to betting fans, maybe not so much, but to the overall public? It’ll be the first national exposure for Gators’ C Olivier Rioux, who at 7’9” is the tallest player ever in college basketball.
Even though they lost three elite guards, the Gators have 4 players from the frontcourt who won it all last season. They won’t be rattled by their average early season record or the big national TV matchup against the Huskies.
UConn has to be eager to re-take their claim as the best NCAAM team in the country. They won the last two titles before Florida took over last April. That march to the top by Florida included booting the Huskies from the Second Round of the tournament, winning 77-75. UConn’s talent puts them as 4.5-point favorites in this next battle against the Gators, so the oddsmakers clearly think that the Huskies are still a force.
Where UConn could cover the spread is on defense. They’re currently 1st in the Big East in points allowed and they could lock down players like Thomas Haugh.
With the game in the Huskies’ backyard and some measure of revenge on their mind, plus the fact that Florida still hasn’t quite found their groove yet this season, there’s a solid chance that UConn covers.