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Clemson vs. Alabama Prediction & Expert Picks: Tigers and Tide Set for High-Scoring Showdown

Rob Paul

Last Updated: March 30, 2024 6:02 PM EDT • 2 min 60 sec read.

Mark Sears of the Alabama Crimson Tide drives against the North Carolina Tar Heels during the Sweet 16 round of the NCAA Men's Basketball Tournament. We expect a high-scoring game in our Clemson vs. Alabama expert picks and best bet.
Mark Sears of the Alabama Crimson Tide drives against the North Carolina Tar Heels during the Sweet 16 round of the NCAA Men's Basketball Tournament. Photo by Harry How/Getty Images via AFP.

The No. 6 Clemson Tigers and No. 4 Alabama Crimson Tide battle in the Elite 8 after pulling off Sweet 16 upsets, and we're offering our top Clemson vs. Alabama prediction and expert picks based on the most competitive NCAAB odds.

The sixth-seed Clemson Tigers (24-11) put the madness in March when they took down the No. 2-seed Arizona Wildcats. Clemson squares off on Saturday against another program fresh off a big upset win.

No. 4 seed Alabama (24-11) serves as Clemson's opponent in this Elite 8 matchup, with the Crimson Tide set as -2.5 favorites at our best sports betting sites. Tip-off is set for 8:49 p.m. ET at Crypto.com Arena in Los Angeles.

Although Clemson managed to upset a former favorite by the Final Four odds, it faces a formidable challenge against Alabama, a team capable of defeating even a No. 1 seed. Given the nature of Crimson Tide games, expect this matchup to be both high-scoring and chaotic.  

As part of our March Madness predictions, here is our best Clemson vs. Alabama prediction and expert picks (odds via our best March Madness betting sites; pick confidence based on a 1-to-5-star scale).

Clemson (6) vs. Alabama (4) game info

  • When: Saturday, March 30
  • Tip-off: 8:49 p.m. ET
  • Where: Crypto.com Arena, Los Angeles, Calif.
  • How to watch: TBS
  • Favorite: Alabama -2.5 (+100 via Betway)

Clemson vs. Alabama prediction

Over 163.5 ⭐⭐⭐⭐

Best odds: -115 via Betway

When Alabama takes the court, points are scored. The Crimson Tide turn every game into a shootout with their dynamic offense and lackluster defense. Even against a North Carolina team that ranked top 10 in the country in adjusted defensive efficiency, per KenPom, Alabama scored 89 points (and allowed 87). An abundance of points will be scored regardless of the opposition: Charleston put up 96 on the Tide in the first round of March Madness.

Alabama leads the country in points per game (90.7), is fourth in adjusted offensive efficiency, and 10th in adjusted tempo. Head coach Nate Oats wants his team playing fast and shooting as many threes as possible - the Tide are third in the country in 3-pointers made per game (11.0). This style lends well to lead guard Mark Sears, who puts up 21.4 points per game and shoots 42.9% from 3-point range.

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The scoring shouldn't stop against this Clemson defense either. The Tigers allowed 72.3 points per game in ACC play and gave up the fourth-most 3-points per game (8.3). However, Clemson does have the offensive talent to keep up and push for a Final Four bid. The Tigers are 24th in adjusted offensive efficiency, putting up 77.2 points per game behind All-ACC forward PJ Hall.

Hall and point guard Joseph Girard have Clemson shooting 46.8% from the floor, 54.6% from two, 35.2% from three, and 78.7% from the free throw line. Brad Brownell's team is one of the best all-around shooting collectives in the country and can capitalize against a defense giving up 81.1 points per game. At the -115 odds via Betway, there's a 53.49% implied probability the Over will hit, according to our odds calculator. A $10 bet on these odds would make a $8.70 profit if the Over hits.

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Clemson vs. Alabama spread & Over/Under analysis

The Crimson Tide opened favored by 2.5 points over Clemson at Betway after upsetting the Tar Heels in the Sweet 16. The line has seen a lot of movement early, shifting to Alabama -3.5 and coming back down to -2.5 before returning up to -3.5, and once again coming down to -2.5. With neither of these teams projected to be here, expect the line movement to continue. Alabama is 20-15 ATS and Clemson is 20-14-1.

Given the way Alabama plays basketball, the game total opened as high as 164.5 at Betway. It's since dropped to 163.5, but could be juiced as high as 165.5 by Saturday night. The Crimson Tide are one of the best Over teams in the country at 26-9 and have hit the Over in 16 of their last 20 games.

Clemson-Alabama prediction made Friday at 1:45 p.m. ET.

Here are our best March Madness betting sites:

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Written By:
Rob Paul
A diehard Pittsburgh Steelers fan, Rob's passion for the NFL led him to the NFL Draft, which in turn sparked his love for collegiate sports. Growing up, he was particularly obsessed with the old Big East, MAC, and the Big Ten. That obsession led him to pursue a career in sports media, first as a local reporter, and now as a betting analyst. There's nothing Rob loves more than spending hours on the couch watching college football/basketball, NFL, NBA, or MLB, and hopefully hitting a few bets.