A team seeded fifth or worse has made the Final Four in 10 straight NCAA Tournaments, and No. 6 seed Clemson will try to keep that streak alive when it faces No. 4 seed Alabama in the Elite Eight on Saturday night. The Tigers lost two of their final three games of the regular season before falling to No. 11 seed Boston College in the ACC Tournament, but they have bounced back with three impressive wins in the 2024 NCAA Tournament. Their most recent victory came in a 77-72 final against No. 2 seed Arizona on Thursday, booking their second-ever trip to the Elite Eight. Alabama advanced past the Sweet 16 for the second time in school history as well, beating No. 1 seed North Carolina in an 89-87 thriller.
Tipoff is set for 8:49 p.m. ET from Crypto.com Arena in Los Angeles in the West Region Final. The Crimson Tide are favored by 3.5 points in the latest Alabama vs. Clemson odds, per SportsLine consensus, while the over/under for total points scored is 164. Before making any Clemson vs. Alabama picks, be sure to see the college basketball predictions from the proven model at SportsLine.
The model simulates every Div. I college basketball game 10,000 times. It entered the Sweet 16 round of the 2024 NCAA tournament on a 152-109 roll on all top-rated college basketball picks dating back to last season, returning more than $1,800 for $100 players. It also has a strong 32-21 (+890) record on top-rated spread picks this season, and it called 13 Sweet 16 teams this year. Anyone following it has seen huge returns.
Now, the model has set its sights on Alabama vs. Clemson and just locked in its March Madness predictions. You can visit SportsLine now to see the model's picks. Here are several college basketball odds and betting lines and trends for Clemson vs. Alabama:
- Alabama vs. Clemson spread: Alabama -3.5
- Alabama vs. Clemson over/under: 164 points
- Alabama vs. Clemson money line: Alabama -171, Clemson +143
- BAMA: The Crimson Tide are 22-4 as favorites this season.
- CLEM: The Tigers are 5-1 in their last six games against Alabama.
- Alabama vs. Clemson picks: See picks at SportsLine
Why Alabama can cover
Alabama has been one of the top scoring teams in the country throughout the season, but pundits wondered if the Crimson Tide would be able to keep up that pace in the NCAA Tournament. They have silenced the critics thus far, scoring 109 points against Charleston in the first round and 89 points against North Carolina in the Sweet 16. Senior forward Grant Nelson had 24 points and 12 rebounds in the win over the Tar Heels, knocking down clutch free throws at the end of the contest.
Nelson added five blocks in an impressive defensive performance, while guards Aaron Estrada and Rylan Griffen scored 19 points apiece. The Crimson Tide are led by star guard Mark Sears, who is averaging 21.4 points, 4.2 rebounds and 4.1 assists per game. He is one of five players averaging at least nine points per game for Alabama, which will impose its fast pace again on Saturday. See which team to back at SportsLine.
Why Clemson can cover
Clemson has been remarkably good as an underdog this season, going 7-3 straight up in that role. The Tigers have already pulled off three upsets this tournament, beating New Mexico, Baylor and Arizona to secure their spot in the Elite Eight. They were 7-point underdogs in their 77-72 win over the Wildcats on Thursday, as senior guard Chase Hunter had 18 points, seven rebounds and five assists.
One of their other upsets came as 8-point road underdogs at Alabama in November, when senior center PJ Hall had 21 points and eight rebounds to lead four double-digit scorers for Clemson. He is averaging a team-high 18.4 points per game, while junior forward Ian Schieffelin is adding 9.9 points and 9.4 rebounds to form a deadly interior. The Tigers held Arizona to a 5 of 28 clip from 3-point range, which bodes well against an Alabama squad that relies heavily on outside shots. See which team to back at SportsLine.
How to make Alabama vs. Clemson picks
SportsLine's model is leaning Under on the total, projecting the teams to combine for 162 points. The model also says one side of the spread hits in well over 50% of simulations. You can only see the picks at SportsLine.
So who wins Clemson vs. Alabama, and which side of the spread hits well over 50% of the time? Visit SportsLine now to see which side of the Alabama vs. Clemson spread you need to jump on, all from the model on a 152-109 roll on its top-rated college basketball picks, and find out.
