The No. 6 Clemson Tigers will take on the No. 4 Alabama Crimson Tide in the Elite Eight of the 2024 NCAA Tournament on Saturday. Tipoff for the West Regional final is set for 8:49 p.m. ET from Crypto.com Arena in Los Angeles and the game will air on TBS/TruTV.
Both teams are vying for their very first trip to the Final Four in program history. This is a rematch of their regular-season matchup from November 28, an 85-77 victory for Clemson in Tuscaloosa.
2024 March Madness picks
No. 6 Clemson vs. No. 4 Alabama best bet
Clemson (24-11) is in the Elite Eight for just the second time in program history and continued its surprise run through the tournament with a 77-72 upset of No. 2 Arizona on Thursday. The Tigers controlled this Sweet 16 matchup from start to finish as they held the Wildcats to just 37.3% shooting from the field. Zona did pull to within two in the final minute, but a Chase Hunter ‘And-1’ off a layup effectively sealed it for Clemson. He led the team with 18 points, seven rebounds, and five assists.
The Tigers have been well balanced on both sides of the floor, ranking in the top 35 in adjusted efficiency on both offense and defense. It could be a challenge for Alabama players to find teammates for open looks in this game as the Tigers have limited foes to just 10.7 assists per game. One thing they’ll have to try to improve on is forcing turnovers as they have just a 13.8% turnover rate heading into this matchuo.
Alabama (24-11) is also in the Elite Eight for the second time in school history and got here by knocking off No. 1 North Carolina in an 89-87 victory on Saturday. The Crimson Tide battled their way back from an eight-point halftime deficit, taking advantage of a poor second half by the Tar Heels. A Grant Nelson ‘And-1’ with 39 seconds left gave them a two-point lead, and he was able to ice the game with two more free throws late. He led the way with 24 points, 12 rebounds, and five blocks.
Alabama plays at a breakneck tempo and has been able to parlay that into the top scoring offense in the nation, averaging 90.7 points per game. The Tide’s offensive accolades includes 57.2% shooting from two, 36.8% shooting from three, and a good offensive rebounding rate of 34.9%. They are slightly outsized by the Tigers and their length could create some problems for them in trying to move the ball around.
Betting lines
Saturday odds
Spread: Bama -3.5
Total: 164.5
Moneyline: Alabama -166, Clemson +140
Opening odds
Spread: Alabama -1.5
Over/Under: 165.5
Moneyline: Alabama -125, Clemson +105
All odds are courtesy of DraftKings Sportsbook.
Best bet: Under 164.5
Defense travels and it should play more of a factor as we move deeper into the tournament. I expect this to be a matchup where both teams will have to work a little bit harder to get into a rhythm. There’s also a familiarity aspect given that both teams faced each other earlier in the regular season, albeit four months ago. For those reasons, I’ll predict the under cashing in a close, competitive battle.