Posted at 11:00 AM EST. Odds subject to change.

Pinnacle +146 BET365 +145 Sportsinteraction +140   888Sport +145

Clemson +146 over Alabama

crypto.com Arena - Los Angeles, CA

Men's Basketball Championship - West Region - Elite 8

Streaming: TBS

8:49 PM EST. Alabama made one of the biggest impacts in the Sweet 16, being the first to send a #1 seed home packing, as they edged out North Carolina (UNC) 89-87. With that win, the Crimson Tide have made their first Elite Eight appearance in two decades, with their last appearance coming in 2004.

They say “styles make fights,” and that is certainly the case this year, as these two programs play very different ball games. In the red corner, we find Alabama, which is all about high tempo, run-and-gun, and draining threes to get the job done, which is exactly what the ‘Tide did to the #1 Tar Heels on Thursday night. The Tide were firing on all cylinders from downtown against UNC, draining 42% of their perimeter shots. If ‘Bama fires off at that rate again today, they are going to be in a great position to win and cover, but that is a big “if”.

It’s impossible to predict when a team will go hot or cold, and in the case of Alabama, if the offense does go cold, their defense is not equipped to make up for that difference, as it’s the 102nd-rated unit in the country, but that number is greatly skewed by the ‘Tide's home defensive effort, which is much tougher than when they are not in Tuscaloosa.

In the blue corner, we have the Tigers of Clemson, who are the polar opposite of Alabama, as Alabama ranks ninth in adjusted tempo, while the Tigers are a much more plodding 257th. What does that mean today? Well, if the ‘Tide are unable to continue their scorching pace from beyond the arc, Clemson is the perfect foil to pick up that barrage around the rim, slow things down, and make ‘Bama pay. That’s what Clemson did to #2 Arizona on Thursday night, where the Wildcats went just 5-of-28 from downtown for a brutal 18%, while also shooting just 37% from the field. Clemson outrebounded Arizona 27-to-16 on the Wildcats' missed shots, and that was the difference.

There is a ton of value in the Tigers because they have so many ways in which they can win this game while Alabama has but one path. If the Crimson Tide hit their threes, we may rip up this ticket, but the Tigers could be just as hot or not, and still punch their ticket to the Final Four. We’ll shelve the points here once again and we’ll back Clemson to win this one outright.

Sherwood

-----------------------------------------------------------------------------