March Madness Elite Eight: Clemson vs Alabama Analysis & Final Score
Clemson vs Alabama Spread Has Crimson Tide Favored in Unlikely West Regional Final
Clemson vs Alabama Final Score
Can the Clemson Tigers Continue Improbable March Madness Run?
So much for the Caleb Love reunion against a North Carolina team he used to play for as Love’s Arizona team and the top-seeded Tar Heels were both upset in the regional semifinal to set up an unlikely Elite Eight matchup between Clemson and Alabama. The Clemson vs Alabama spread favors the Crimson Tide as they look to reach the Final Four for the first time.
This will be the third meeting between the teams in the last four seasons with Clemson winning 64-56 as a 1.5-point underdog in 2020 and the Tigers coming away with the 85-77 win in 2023 as the 8.5-point underdog.
The college basketball betting line has Alabama listed as the 3.5-point favorite. The Crimson Tide are priced at -155 to win the game outright compared to +135 odds for Clemson.
When looking at the NCAA predictions, Alabama is priced at +2000 in the odds of winning the national title with Clemson coming in at +3500 in the championship odds.
Keep on reading for more on the West Regional Final between Clemson and Alabama, two programs known more for their postseason success on the football field.
Clemson Tigers vs Alabama Crimson Tide 
Day/Time:
Location: crypto.com Arena, Los Angeles, CA
Streaming: TBS
Tigers Continue to Roar
The prospect of facing one of the top offensive teams in the country was no big deal for Clemson with the Tigers limiting Arizona to 37% shooting in a 77-72 win on Thursday. The Wildcats shot their way out of the NCAA tournament by going 5-for-28 on 3-pointers.
Chase Hunter and PJ Hall led the offense with 18 and 17 points as Clemson went from dropping three of its last four games heading into the March Madness bracket to taking out the third-seeded Baylor Bears and second-seeded Wildcats.
Baylor also shot less than 40% from the field as did first-round opponent New Mexico. Keep that in mind when looking at the Clemson vs Alabama spread.
Clemson has covered against the odds in four of its last six games.
Crimson Tide Lighting It Up
Even with 10 games with at least 100 points scored this season, Alabama was flying under the radar when the NCAA tournament began.
It looked like March Madness was about to end as favored North Carolina led by eight points at halftime in the West Regional semifinal.
Grant Nelson had five points in the final 40 seconds and he blocked a 3-point attempt by Harrison Ingram at the buzzer to give Alabama the 89-87 win and a spot in the Elite Eight for the first time since 2004.
Twelve of Alabama’s last 14 games went over the total and that is something to consider when it comes to the Clemson vs Alabama spread.
Last Meeting
PJ Hall had 21 points while Chase Hunter and Joseph Girard combined for 31 points as Clemson topped Alabama 85-77 in the ACC/SEC Challenge on Nov. 28 as a game on the college basketball schedule that didn’t attract much attention at the time.
The game went over the 160-point total on a free throw by Hall with 14 seconds left to play after the previous five games between the teams went under the total.
Clemson vs Alabama Betting Preview
Alabama is averaging 90.7 points in the NCAA tournament compared to 77.3 for Clemson so this game could come down to the pace of play. Both teams are connecting on more than 77% of their free throws in the tournament and that could be a key factor late in the regional final as the fourth-seeded Crimson Tide and sixth-seeded Tigers are the last two teams standing.
Guard Latrell Wrightsell, who averages 9 points per game, is questionable for Alabama while guard Davin Cosby is out for the Crimson Tide. Wrightsell had five points and four rebounds in the first meeting against Clemson this season.
The Tigers are in a much better position from an injury standpoint.
Alabama is 22-4 as a favorite but Clemson is 7-3 as the underdog.
Seven of Alabama’s nine neutral-site games went over the total with just one of Clemson’s seven contests on neutral courts landing over the total.
The total went under in eight of Clemson‘s last 10 games as well as in six of the last seven matchups with SEC teams.
The total went over in four of Alabama’s last six games against ACC teams.
While picking against Clemson as the underdog in the March Madness bracket has not gone well for those who bet online, go with Alabama to shoot its way into the Final Four.
For NCAAB betting news, odds analysis, and more, visit Point Spreads Sports Magazine.
