NCAA Tournament Betting: Clemson vs. Arizona Picks, Prop Bets and Odds

Very few things on the sports calendar can match the excitement and unpredictability of the NCAA Tournament. So why not add betting to the mix via the college basketball odds at FanDuel Sportsbook?

The 2024 edition of the big dance has arrived, and here at FanDuel Research, we'll have you covered with a betting guide for each game.

The Sweet Sixteen field is now set in the NCAA Tournament, and the first game on Thursday will pit the 6 seed Clemson Tigers against the 2 seed Arizona Wildcats. With Clemson and Arizona both vying for a spot in the Elite Eight, which bets stand out in Thursday's matchup?

All college basketball odds come from FanDuel Sportsbook, and lines may change after this article is published.

NCAA Tournament Betting Picks

Clemson vs. Arizona Betting Odds

Date and Time: Thursday, March 28th at 7:09 p.m. ET

Spread: Arizona -7.5 (-104)

Total: 152.5

Moneyline:

• Clemson: +230
• Arizona: -285

Clemson vs. Arizona Statistical Breakdown

Advanced stats from KenPom, Bart Torvik and numberFire.

Clemson Tigers

• numberFire Ranking: 31st
• Bart Torvik Ranking: 35th
• KenPom Ranking: 34th
  • Adjusted Defensive Efficiency Ranking: 67th
  • Adjusted Offensive Efficiency Ranking: 27th
  • Adjusted Tempo Ranking: 260th

Arizona Wildcats

• numberFire Ranking: 4th
• Bart Torvik Ranking: 6th
• KenPom Ranking: 6th
  • Adjusted Defensive Efficiency Ranking: 12th
  • Adjusted Offensive Efficiency Ranking: 8th
  • Adjusted Tempo Ranking: 16th

Clemson vs. Arizona Best Bet

Arizona -7.5 (-104)

Clemson has been underdogs in their first two games of the NCAA Tournament, taking down the 11 seed New Mexico Lobos and 3 seed Baylor Bears. Despite the Tigers showing plenty of fight in their first two games, I'll be taking the Wildcats to cover in Thursday's clash.

To advance to the Sweet Sixteen, Arizona has cruised to double-digit victories over the 15 seed Long Beach State Beach and the 7 seed Dayton Flyers. The tourney favors experienced teams -- especially in the backcourt -- and the Wildcats have four seniors scoring in double figures with Caleb Love (18.1 PPG), Pelle Larsson (12.9 PPG), Oumar Bello (12.9 PPG, 10.0 RPG), and Keshad Johnson (11.7 PPG, 5.7 RPG).

Besides making Clemson play at a faster pace than they'd prefer, Arizona could do damage from beyond the arc in Thursday's contest. While the Wildcats are 294th in offensive three-point rate (32.6%), they have the 23rd-best three-point percentage (37.1%).

In their first two games in the tournament, Arizona has combined to make an efficient 39.6% of their 53 three-point attempts. On top of that, Clemson could invite them to take more threes with the 287th defensive three-point rate (40.6%).

New Mexico and Baylor shot a combined 9-for-47 -- or 19.1% -- from three-point range against Clemson. The Tigers won't sustain the same level of success against a Wildcats squad that is knocking down their deep shots at a high clip thus far.

It has been impressive to watch Clemson earn a spot in the Sweet Sixteen despite not being favored in either game they've played. But with the Wildcats being their next opponent, the Tigers' run in the NCAA Tournament will be coming to a close.

Clemson vs. Arizona Prop Bet

Pelle Larsson Over 3.5 Assists (-125)

Having guards who can create and score in a variety of ways is invaluable in the NCAA Tournament, and the Wildcats have two of them with Love and Larsson. While both guards on Arizona have been dishing out dimes to begin the tourney, Larsson is typically the one who is recording assists.

Larsson is logging a higher assist percentage than Love at 20.1% compared to Love's 18.5%. Additionally, Larsson has posted five-plus assists in both games of the tournament so far despite having four fouls and being limited to 27 minutes of action against Long Beach State.

Over the course of his 35 appearances this season, Larsson has tallied four-plus assists in 17 of them -- including four of his last seven outings. With Larsson having a chance to pass the ball to Love, Bello, and Johnson, he'll look to make it three consecutive contests with four-plus assists in this year's NCAA Tournament.

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The above author is a FanDuel employee and is not eligible to compete in public daily fantasy contests or place sports betting wagers on FanDuel. The advice provided by the author does not necessarily represent the views of FanDuel. Taking the author's advice will not guarantee a successful outcome. You should use your own judgment when participating in daily fantasy contests or placing sports wagers.