A trip to the Final Four is on the line Saturday when the sixth-seeded Clemson Tigers clash with the fourth-seeded Alabama Crimson Tide in a 2024 NCAA Tournament West Region matchup in Los Angeles. The Tigers (24-11), who are making first Elite Eight appearance since 1980, have embraced the underdog role after beating two higher seeds in No. 3 Baylor 72-64 in the second round and No. 2 Arizona 77-72 in the Sweet 16. The Crimson Tide (24-11), who are making their first Elite Eight appearance in 20 years, stunned top-seeded North Carolina 89-87 in Thursday's Sweet 16 matchup. Clemson leads the all-time series 8-4, and have won three in a row in the series, including an 85-77 win over Alabama on Nov. 28.
Tipoff from Crypto.com Arena is scheduled for 8:49 p.m. ET. Alabama has the 27th-best point differential in the nation at plus-9.5, while Clemson is 76th at plus-6.5. The Crimson Tide are 3.5-point favorites in the latest Clemson vs. Alabama odds from SportsLine consensus, while the over/under for total points scored is set at 164.5. Before making any Alabama vs. Clemson picks, be sure to see the college basketball predictions and betting advice from SportsLine expert Bob Konarski.
A high-volume, seasoned and successful bettor, Konarski joined SportsLine in 2022 and promptly went 116-97-10 on college basketball picks. Konarski heads into the Elite Eight of the 2024 NCAA Tournament on a 56-38-2 college basketball run that has netted $100 followers $1,354. Anyone who has followed him is way up.
Now, he has his sights on Clemson vs. Alabama in the 2024 Elite Eight and just locked in his picks and predictions. You can head to SportsLine now to see his picks. Here are several college basketball odds and trends for Alabama vs. Clemson:
- Clemson vs. Alabama spread: Alabama -3.5
- Clemson vs. Alabama over/under: 164.5 points
- Clemson vs. Alabama money line: Alabama -171, Clemson +143
- CLEM: The Tigers have hit the first-half money line in 22 of their last 32 games (+9.95 units)
- BAMA: The Crimson Tide have hit the game total over in 26 of their last 35 games (+16.10 units)
- Clemson vs. Alabama picks: See picks at SportsLine
Why Alabama can cover
Senior forward Grant Nelson is one of four Crimson Tide players averaging 10 or more points. He is coming off a monster performance in the Sweet 16 win over top-seeded North Carolina on Thursday, scoring 24 points, while grabbing 12 rebounds and registering five blocks. He has three double-doubles on the year. He had 14 points and 13 rebounds in a 92-88 overtime win over Arkansas in the regular-season finale on March 9. He is in his first season with the program after three years at North Dakota State. He is averaging 11.8 points, 5.6 rebounds, 1.6 blocks and 1.5 assists in 35 games, all starts.
Sophomore guard Rylan Griffen played a key role in the win over North Carolina. In 29 minutes of action, he poured in 19 points, while grabbing four rebounds. He also scored 13 points with two steals in the second-round win over Grand Canyon on Sunday. In 34 games, including 31 starts, Griffen is averaging 11.2 points, 3.4 rebounds and 1.8 assists in 26.1 minutes. See which team to pick at SportsLine.
Why Clemson can cover
Fifth-year senior guard Chase Hunter has been on fire of late. He is coming off an 18-point, seven-rebound and five-assist performance in the win over Arizona. He scored 20 points and added six assists and two rebounds in the victory over Baylor. His best game in the tournament so far was his 21-point, six-assist and three-rebound effort in the first-round win over New Mexico. In 35 starts, he is averaging 12.9 points, 3.1 assists and 2.5 rebounds in 32.7 minutes.
Junior forward Ian Schieffelin has been a big part of the Tigers' tournament run. He posted a double-double in the first-round win over New Mexico with 16 points and 12 rebounds. He followed that up with 11 points, six rebounds and three assists against Baylor. On Thursday vs. Arizona, he poured in 14 points, while grabbing seven boards, making two steals and dishing out three assists. In 35 games, all starts, he is averaging 9.9 points, 9.4 rebounds and 2.2 assists in 27.3 minutes. See which team to pick at SportsLine.
How to make Clemson vs. Alabama picks
Konarski is leaning Under on the point total. He has also discovered a critical X-factor that has him jumping all over one side of the spread. He's only sharing what it is, and which side to back, at SportsLine.
So who wins Alabama vs. Clemson in the 2024 Elite Eight, and what critical X-factor makes one side of the spread a must back? Visit SportsLine now to see which side of the spread to jump on, all from the expert on a 56-38 roll on his college basketball best bets, and find out.
