The No. 4 Alabama Crimson Tide will take on the No. 1 North Carolina Tar Heels in the Sweet 16 of the 2024 NCAA Tournament on Thursday. Tipoff is set for this West Regional semifinal is set for 9:39 p.m. ET from Crypto.com Arena in Los Angeles and the game will air on CBS.
2024 March Madness picks
No. 4 Alabama vs. No. 1 UNC best bet
Alabama (23-11) is back in the Sweet 16 for the third time in four years, a feat the program hasn’t accomplished since the Derrick McKey era of the mid-1980’s. The Crimson Tide came limping into the NCAA Tournament, but turned it on last weekend with double-digit victories over No. 13 Charleston and No. 12 Grand Canyon. Mark Spears was the star of the show, averaging 28 points, eight rebounds, and 5.5 assists through those two games. Something to keep an eye out for is the status of senior guard Latrell Wrightsell Jr., who exited Sunday’s second-round game with a head injury.
The Crimson Tide operates at the third-fastest offensive tempo in the country and we’ll see if that can be effective against a Tar Heel defense that has been stout all season long. One area to watch is how well they can establish the three, as they are shooting 36.7% from that range and 36.5% of their points have come from beyond the arc. It should be a challenge as UNC has held opponents to just 31.7% shooting in that category.
North Carolina (29-7) looked the part of a No. 1 seed last weekend as it smacked around both No. 16 Wagner and No. 9 Michigan State to advance to the program’s 36th Sweet 16 appearance. ACC Player of the Year R.J. Davis averaged 21 points through the two games and the experience of Armando Bacot shined through in the paint. Harrison Ingram buried five threes in Sunday’s win over Sparty and he definitely fits the bill of being an X-factor for the Heels moving forward.
Like Alabama, UNC also plays at an extremely high pace on offense and there’s a chance for it to get to work against a Bama defense that has been pedestrian in certain areas. The Tar Heels have gotten the most out of their possessions as they have a low turnover rate of 14.2% and an offensive rebounding rate of 32.6%. They have the opportunity to really control this game on the offensive end unless the Tide manages to cause havoc with turnovers.
Betting lines
Thursday odds
Spread: UNC -4.5
Total: 173.5
Moneyline: UNC -198, Alabama +164
Opening odds
Spread: North Carolina -4.5
Total: 173.5
Moneyline: UNC -192, Alabama +160
All odds are courtesy of DraftKings Sportsbook.
Best bet: UNC -4.5
North Carolina is a more well balanced team as it can actually match its high-paced offense with one of the most efficient defenses in the entire country. Alabama has thrived on creating second-chance opportunities with offensive rebounds, but the presence of Armando Bacot on the glass could be the difference maker for the Heels. I’ll take UNC to cover and move on to the Elite Eight.