Clemson vs. Arizona: Predictions, picks, odds for 2024 March Madness game

[ad_1]

Sweet 16 basketball is here. After an exciting opening weekend, the regional semifinals begin Thursday and feature several exciting matchups between the 16 teams that remain.

The first clash of the round will see the No. 6 Clemson Tigers take on the No. 2 Arizona Wildcats. It’s the first time the two programs will face each other since December 2012.

Clemson is off to an excellent start in this year’s tournament after snagging an at-large ACC bid. They’ve captured two decisive wins – 77-56 over No. 11 New Mexico and 72-64 over No. 3 Baylor – despite being betting underdogs in both games.

Arizona, Pac-12 regular-season champions and tournament runners-up, have also taken care of business in the first two rounds. The Wildcats beat No. 15 Long Beach State by 20 before taking down No. 7 Dayton by 10 points.

Here’s what to know about Thursday’s Sweet 16 opening matchup.

March Madness takeaways: Upsets, Sweet 16 chalk and the ACC lead from men’s NCAA Tournament

Clemson vs. Arizona predictions

Greenville News: Arizona 76, Clemson 72

Derrian Carter writes, “Opposed to New Mexico and Baylor who rely on 3-pointers, Arizona uses it to complement its inside scoring. Add in Clemson coming off an emotional victory to reach this stage, expect the Wildcats to take care of Clemson to end its memorable March Madness run.”

Pickswise: Arizona to win, Clemson to cover

Nick Musial writes, “Ultimately, Arizona’s consistency from beyond the arc might be the deciding factor. The Wildcats boast KenPom’s 19th best 3-point scoring rate (37.3%) compared to Clemson’s 103rd-ranked mark (35.3%). However, I don’t believe this advantage is enough for Arizona to cover the current 7-point spread.”

ESPN: Arizona hold significant edge in model

ESPN Analytics give Arizona a 79.3% chance to advance to the Elite Eight. The same model gives Clemson a 20.7% chance to pull off the upset.

Reseeding the Sweet 16: March Madness power rankings of the teams left in NCAA Tournament

Clemson vs. Arizona: Odds, spread and…

[ad_2]
Source link : https://sports.yahoo.com/clemson-vs-arizona-predictions-picks-102511452.html

Author : USA TODAY Sports

Publish date : 2024-03-28 10:25:11

Copyright for syndicated content belongs to the linked Source.