Alabama Favored to Take Down Clemson in the ACC/SEC Challenge
The Clemson vs Alabama Odds Favor the Crimson Tide to Win 20th in a Row At Home
Two Of The Best 3-Point Shooting Teams Set to Square Off in Tuscaloosa
Whenever Alabama-Clemson matchups are mentioned, the first thought usually turns to showdowns in the College Football Playoffs. This time, it will be on the basketball court when the teams meet on Tuesday, with the Alabama vs Clemson odds favoring the Crimson Tide in the ACC/SEC Challenge.
This will be the fourth time in the last nine seasons that the Crimson Tide and Tigers will be squaring off.
The NCAAB odds have Alabama listed as the 9-point favorite.
Guard Jake Heidbreder won’t play this season for Clemson, while forward Mouhamed Dioubate has missed the last two games for Alabama.
When looking at the NCAA basketball standings, Clemson joins Miami as the only undefeated teams in the ACC, while Alabama is off to a 5-1 start.
Coming into the season, Clemson (+1200) had the fifth-best odds of winning the ACC title, with Alabama (+850) fifth in the SEC championship odds.
Alabama fell six spots to No. 23 in the Associated Press poll and went from 15th to 20th in the coaches poll. Clemson is receiving votes in both polls but is not in the top 25 in either of the national rankings.
Clemson vs Alabama 
Day/Time:
Location: Coleman Coliseum, Tuscaloosa, AL
Line: Alabama 9.5
Total: 159
Streaming: ESPN
Having a Hall of a Time
After leading Clemson in scoring in the last two seasons, PJ Hall has stepped it up a notch this season.
He is coming off a season-high 29 points on 11 of 18 shooting in a win over Alcorn State.
Hall put up 15.5 and 15.3 points in the last two seasons, and that number has jumped to 21.4 points this season. Keep that in mind when it comes to the Alabama vs Clemson odds.
The Tigers haven’t exactly put together the toughest schedule in the early portion of the season with five wins against mid-major teams, so it will be worth watching to see how Hall and Tigers fare against their first opponent from one of the major conferences.
Clemson has covered against the college basketball point spreads in just two of its last seven games.
Sears Delivering For The Crimson Tide
Mark Sears had some inconsistency in the shooting department in his first season at Alabama after transferring from Ohio.
Sears shot 40.6% from the field and 34.5% from 3-point range while averaging 12.5 points per game. He is now shooting 61% and 54.5% on 3-pointers in the first six games. His strong start could factor into the Alabama vs Clemson odds.
In three games at the Emerald Coast Classic, Sears averaged 22.7 points on 59% shooting. He was 5-of-12 from 3-point range and 19 of 22 from the foul line.
Hofstra transfer Aaron Estrada and North Dakota State transfer Grant Nelson are the other double-digit scorers for Alabama.
Alabama is 8-4 against the college basketball odds in its last 12 games and has covered in six of the previous nine games against ACC opponents.
Last Meeting
Clemson held the Crimson Tide to 30% shooting in a 64-58 win in the final game of the 2020 Holiday Hoopsgiving event at State Farm Arena in Atlanta. Alabama came into the game as the 1.5-point favorite in the most recent college basketball matchup between the teams.
The contest fell well under the 146-point total, as it was the fifth straight game between the teams to finish under the total.
Clemson vs Alabama Betting Preview
Alabama is going after its 20th straight win at home. The Crimson Tide is 13-6 against the spread in those games.
Clemson ranks in the top 20 nationally in assists, turnovers, and 3-point shooting.
Alabama has the No. 1 scoring offense in the country, with the Crimson Tide ranking third in assist and 3-point percentage.
It would be in the best interest for Clemson to turn the game into a half-court affair with the Crimson Tide as Alabama is putting up 97.8 points per game compared to 79.6 points per game for Clemson.
The numbers are more impressive for Alabama, considering the Crimson Tide is coming off games against Ohio State and Oregon.
Clemson posted a 13-8 record in the ACC-Big Ten Challenge, with the 13 wins trailing only Duke’s 20 and the 14 by Wake Forest and Virginia. Alabama went 4-2 in the SEC/Big Challenge. Both of those events ended after the last NCAAB season, with this being the first year of the ACC/SEC challenge.
The total has gone over in 11 of Clemson’s last 16 games, with the total set at 159 for this matchup. The total has gone under in Clemson’s last five games against SEC teams.
The total has gone over in each of Alabama’s six games this season. This is the first true road game for Clemson and also the first time the Tigers have been listed as the underdogs this season. Alabama has covered in each of the first home games and is 4-2 against the spread as the favorite.
Alabama is looking good to hand Clemson its first loss of the season but the 9-point line seems a little on the high side, so it won’t be a surprise to see the Tigers cover.
For NCAAB betting news, odds analysis, and more, visit Point Spreads Sports Magazine.
