Clemson vs. Alabama: Elite Eight Preview & Pick

The road to the Final Four is nearly complete as we await the weekend’s regional finals to determine who will head to Phoenix and compete for a national championship. Let’s take a look at Saturday night’s Elite 8 matchup between Clemson and Alabama, including tip times, television coverage, betting odds, and a brief preview of what to watch for, along with a best bet:

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How to Watch #6 Clemson vs. #4 Alabama

• TV: TBS/truTV | Streaming: March Madness Live App
• Time: 8:49 p.m. ET  |  Location: Crypto.com Arena – Los Angeles, CA

#6 Clemson vs. #4 Alabama FanDuel Odds

• Spread: Clemson +2.5 (-104) | Alabama -2.5 (-118)
• Moneyline: Clemson (+126) | Alabama (-152)
• Total: OVER 164.5 (-110) | UNDER 164.5 (-110)

Almost nobody expected us to be previewing Clemson and Alabama meeting for a second time this season to determine who heads to the Final Four, but here we are. It’s been an incredible run for both teams, who have pulled off some impressive upset performances to get to this point, which should make an exhilarating Elite 8 matchup.

While Alabama’s defense was a major concern for most heading into the tournament, their uber efficiency on the offensive end has outweighed their inability to play consistent defense. While they couldn’t stop North Carolina from clinging to their lead for most of the night, the Crimson Tide found a way to string together a few stops late in the game when they needed it most to get them in front in the final minutes. Grant Nelson became an overnight superstar with his brilliant performance, becoming the first player in the NBA, WNBA, or men’s and women’s college basketball to have 20 points, 10 rebounds, five blocks, and 10 free throws, all while shooting 60 percent from the field and 100 percent from beyond the arc.

Clemson has earned the right to be this deep into the tournament with their ability to score at every position, sharpshooting, and strong coaching from Brad Brownell. But to be fair, they have benefitted from some ridiculous three-point shooting variance. Our friend and Three Man Weave co-founder Jim Root pointed out that Clemson’s opponents have shot 14-for-75, 18.7 percent, from beyond the arc during the tournament. You can make the case that they may have persuaded these numbers a bit with some hot defense, but that is simply an unsustainable rate. It was also noticeable that Arizona was having a hard time even making wide-open threes on Thursday night. The Crimson Tide are much more likely to make the Tigers pay for leaving a man open, so we’ll lay the points with them here.

The Pick: Alabama -2.5

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