The Clemson Tigers and BYU Cougars will meet as part of the 2025 Jimmy V Classic at Madison Square Garden on Tuesday night. Both of these teams have racked up seven wins early in the season, but only one of them can get a win in this matchup. BYU is the favorite to do that, but anything can happen in a neutral site game like this one. Before tip-off from MSG, you can continue reading to find my Clemson vs BYU prediction.
Our BYU vs Clemson Pick
Pick: BYU -7.5
Confidence: ★★★☆☆
Game Snapshot
- Matchup: Clemson Tigers vs BYU Cougars
- Date & Time: December 9, 2025, 6:30 PM ET
- Venue: Madison Square Garden, New York, NY
- Broadcast: ESPN
Key Storylines
- Strong start for both teams: Clemson enters at 7–2 overall, while BYU stands at 7–1. Both teams are averaging just over 85 points per game, which suggests an up‑tempo affair with offensive firepower on both sides is in our future. But it should be noted that BYU has played a much tougher non-conference schedule so far according to KenPom's metrics and the Cougars enter as the more battle-tested team because of that.
- Neutral site situation: This game is being played at Madison Square Garden in New York. Neither of these teams is anywhere close to New York geographically and it is entirely possible that they get very little crowd support in this matchup. That is especially true with UConn set to take the floor at this venue shortly after this game wraps up. We could see these teams play in front of a building full of Huskies fans.
- Key offensive players: For Clemson, their leading scorer is RJ Godfrey. He is putting up 12.1 PPG. For BYU, standout AJ Dybantsa is averaging 19.4 PPG with solid efficiency (54.4% from the field). That scoring ability could tilt the balance in BYU’s favor in this game if Dybantsa can stay hot.
- Recent form: BYU comes in off a decisive 91–60 win over CBU, showing they can blow teams out. The Cougars have won four straight games after their lone loss of the season to Connecticut. Clemson lost a tight game to Alabama in their last outing, but has logged wins over Georgia and West Virginia recently. BYU's strength of schedule ranks 20th in the nation so far this year, per KenPom, compared to Clemson's ranking of 252nd out of 365 Division I teams.
Betting Trends
- Both of these teams are 5-3 against the spread so far this season.
- The under has cashed in 5 of BYU's first 8 games this year.
- Clemson has gone over the total in 5 of their first 8 contests.
Clemson vs BYU Model Projection
Score Projection: Clemson 75 – BYU 85
Win Probability: Clemson 38%, BYU 62%
Final Thoughts
BYU should be able to win and cover the spread on a neutral floor in this contest. The Cougars have prepared for a game like this one by playing tougher competition early in the season and BYU's elite offensive metrics should help them score consistently against an ACC opponent here. I'm laying the points with Dybantsa and the Cougars on Tuesday night.
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