A surprising West Region final between a pair of surging teams takes place on Saturday, with a spot in the Final Four on the line.
Fourth-seeded Alabama takes on No. 6-seed Clemson in Los Angeles (8:49 p.m. ET, TBS/truTV) in the nightcap of an Elite 8 doubleheader.
Clemson vs. Alabama odds
| Team | Spread | Moneyline | Total |
|---|---|---|---|
| Clemson | +2.5 (-105) | +126 | o164.5 (-110) |
| Alabama | -2.5 (-115) | -152 | u164.5 (-110) |
Clemson vs. Alabama analysis
The West Region had the potential from the start to produce a wild final, but a Tiger-Tide Elite Eight matchup wasn’t on many people’s radar.
The Crimson Tide had been dreadful on the road for much of the season, relying far too heavy on the 3-point shot.
And Clemson had been bounced from the ACC Tournament as an eight-point favorite, falling to BC by 21 points.
That’s not the kind of positive momentum Brad Brownell was hoping for heading into the Big Dance.
But both teams have proved doubters wrong and are playing their best basketball at the right moment.
Having just seen a decidedly Alabama-like opponent in Arizona, Clemson should be prepared for what it will see on Saturday night.
But the Tigers have been the beneficiary of unsustainable 3-point luck.
Arizona shot a bewildering 5-for-28 from long range, and in the game before that, Baylor shot 25 percent from deep despite entering as one of the nation’s best shooting teams.
And to kick off this run, New Mexico shot 3-for-23 from behind the arc.
Despite this lucky run, Clemson still isn’t a top-100 team at defending the three.
Alabama will bomb away (30 3-point attempts per game, fourth in the nation), and the Tide shoot it really well (36.8 percent, 23rd).
Betting on College Basketball?
Displaying a resolve in finding different ways to win, they beat Charleston with a barrage of triples (13), got in a rock fight against Grand Canyon, and defeated North Carolina on Thursday night with even scoring (four players had 18-plus points).
Clemson vs. Alabama picks
I would advocate for a pregame bet laying the points with Alabama, but a live play should also be on the table given the Tide’s propensity for scoring runs (29 runs of 10-0 or better).
Pick: Alabama -2.5 (-115, BetMGM)