ACC/SEC Challenge Picks: Arkansas takes on Louisville, Alabama takes on Clemson

Tuesday’s nine games in the ACC/SEC Challenge delivered on the promise – and then some! — with six upsets, including an OT thriller in South Carolina, and an easy Duke win (albeit as a favorite) over reigning champion Florida in Durham. It will be tough to top Wednesday as the 2025 ACC/SEC Challenge comes to a close.

But the conditions are favorable for more chaos! Of the seven games on the schedule, three games have a spread of one possession or less – one of which involves No. 6 Louisville on the road versus a No. 25 Arkansas team.

The ACC has a 6-3 lead going into the second day of the event, but that advantage is hardly safe. SEC teams will be favored in six of the seven games on Wednesday to prepare for a possible comeback on the second day. And after the SEC won the event 14-2 last year, it has a clean sweep to victory for the second consecutive season.

Chance via DraftKings Sportsbook | All times ET

No. 6 Louisville at No. 25 Arkansas

7:00 PM on ESPN, fuboTV (try for free): Arkansas lost four times at home last season under John Calipari, so it’s hardly a lock to do so against a top-10 Cardinals team. But even in those games — where, for context, Arkansas suffered an identity crisis before finding its groove late in the season — the Razorbacks still managed to be competitive. That’s what I’m betting on here. Taking the 3.5 points from the home team. Pick: Arkansas +3.5 — Boone

7:15 PM on ESPNU, fuboTV (try for free): Alabama wins this one, but Clemson keeps it close. Clemson is a top 20 defensive unit that guards percentages from 3, and Alabama wants to win by cutting you from distance. If the Tigers can push them away from the three-point line or at least force them into hard shots or attack inside, this could be close. Pick: Clemson +10.5 — Boone

7:15 PM on ACC Network, fuboTV (try for free): LSU is the better team with the better record and Boston College is coming off losses to Davidson and Central Connecticut, among others. Ouch. But 7.5 points is more than I’d be willing to award the favorite in this spot, considering LSU plays away from home and BC — record aside — has been largely competitive. Pick: Boston College +8.5 — Boone

9:15 PM on ESPN, fuboTV (try for free): This is the first from NC State WHERE test drive of the Will Wade era. So far it’s perfect at home, but only 1-2 in neutral field games. Auburn, meanwhile, is perfect in actual home games, although one of its two losses came in a de facto home game against Houston in Birmingham. I like that the Pack is keeping this one close. Darrion Williams is a tough cover and will give the Tigers matchup fits. Pick: NC State +8.5 — Boone

9:15 PM on ESPNU, fuboTV (try for free): Texas has some momentum in this situation after a big win over NC State during Thanksgiving week. The scoring skills of Dailyn Swain and Jordan Pope match up well against a Virginia team that is struggling defensively. Pick: Texas -2.5 — Boone

9:15 PM on SEC Network, fuboTV (try for free): This is a big number to lay down, but I’ll lay it down. Why not? Vanderbilt ranks eighth nationally in scoring margin this season and is working with its offensive and tempo-driven scheme. It can score in groups and bury you. Pick: Vanderbilt -10.5 — Boone

9:15 PM on ACC Network, fuboTV (try for free): Last but certainly not least on our menu of options: a dandy-out at McCamish Pavilion between two evenly matched teams. Mississippi State is a 3.5-point road favorite against a Georgia Tech team that has lost two straight but has been perfect on the home floor this season. Honestly, this might be a way out, but if it’s a choice, I’d rather put the points on Mississippi State. Only one team has Jayden Epps and Josh Hubbard. That’s the better team and the side I prefer to be on. Pick: Mississippi State -3.5 — Boone

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