The first game of the 2024 NCAA Tournament’s Sweet 16 is from Los Angeles on Thursday and the West Region in particular as No. 2 Arizona faces No. 6 Clemson with the winner taking on either No. 1 North Carolina or No. 4 Alabama for a trip to the Final Four.

Arizona and Clemons haven’t played each other since December 2012.

Clemson Tigers vs. Arizona Wildcats 2024 March Madness Sweet 16 Game Information

See you in LA pic.twitter.com/HBnEkfhRLb

— Arizona Basketball (@ArizonaMBB) March 23, 2024

• When: Thursday, March 28th, 2024 at 7:09 pm ET
• Where: Crypto.com Arena, Los Angeles, CA
• TV: CBS
• Radio: WCCP 105.5 FM The Roar (Clemson) // 1290 AM KCUB (Arizona)
• Live Stream: March Madness Live
• NCAAB Betting Odds: Clemson (+7) // Arizona (-7)

Why Bet on the Clemson Tigers?

The ACC is an excellent 8-1 in this NCAA Tournament. No. 6 seed Clemson knocked off No. 11 New Mexico by 21 points in Round 1 in a game where many had the Lobos advancing, and then the Tigers upset No. 3 Baylor in the Round of 32 on Sunday by a score of 72-64.

Trailing by 15 with 6½ minutes to go, Baylor made it interesting as Toledo transfer RayJ Dennis, who scored a game- and season-high 27 points, went coast to coast for a driving layup after grabbing a defensive rebound that started a 16-3 run that got the Bears within two with under a minute to play. Twice in the last 2 ½ minutes, the Bears got within two points, the first one coming on a three-point play by Ja’Kobe Walter that cut it to 64-62. And then with 1:02 left, RayJDennis hit two free throws after getting fouled after a backcourt steal. However, Clemson went 8-for-8 from the line in the final two minutes to ice the win.

Chase Hunter paced the Tigers offensively for a second straight game, netting 20 points on 5-for-10 shooting, and hit seven of his eight free throw attempts while handing out a team-high six assists. Hunter had scored 20 or more points once in the 2023-24 regular season before doing so in both NCAA Tournament games this week. Ian Schieffelin added 11 points and six rebounds, while Joe Girard III added 13 points, including a pair of free throws with 19 seconds left to give the Tigers a six-point advantage.

Clemson advanced to the Sweet 16 for the second time in coach Brad Brownell’s 14 seasons. They also made it in 2018, when they lost to Kansas in the third round. This will be the Tigers’ fifth Sweet 16 game in March Madness history. They have a 1-3 record in the NCAA tournament third round, earning their first win in 1980 and losing the next three in 1990, 1997 and 2018.

“We were hanging on for dear life at the end, but I thought our defense for 38 minutes was unbelievable,” said Brownell in his postgame interview. “This was a big win for us. “Baylor’s obviously a very talented, well-coached team. So for us to play the way we did, I thought our defense was outstanding throughout.”

The Tigers held Baylor to 64 points, their third-lowest offensive output of the season, and a 6-of-24 (.250) mark from behind the arc. Clemson hit 20-of-24 (.833) of its free throw attempts, while Baylor was unable to capitalize, hitting 16-of-26 and missing three one-and-one front-ends in the second half.

Entering the postseason, the Tigers were 1-3 in their previous four games, and all three losses unfolded against teams that missed the NCAA tournament (Notre Dame, Wake Forest, Boston College). There were no signs that this was a potential Sweet 16 squad.

Why Bet on the Arizona Wildcats?

No. 2 seed Arizona has not been challenged much in the Dance, beating No. 15 seed Long Beach State by 20 in Round 1 and then No. 7 Dayton by 10 on Saturday. UA’s two wins in Salt Lake City helped the program ease the sting of last year’s first-round loss to 15th-seeded Princeton. The Wildcats shot 53% from the field and made eight 3-pointers vs. Dayton.

Pac-12 Player of the Year Caleb Love had 19 points, while Keshad Johnson and Pelle Larsson each had 13 points and seven rebounds for Arizona. Larsson also had six assists, and Jaden Bradley scored 12 points off the bench. The Wildcats shot 53% from the field and made eight 3-pointers.

“We’re really excited to be back,” Larsson said. “I feel like it’s been a (long) journey to come back here. But I think the journey has made us stronger and this team is ready for it.”

Arizona played fast in the two tournament games it won by a combined 30 points without losing its efficiency (40% from beyond the arc). The most imposing component of the Wildcats’ second run to the Sweet 16 since 2015 has been their defensive intensity. Neither Long Beach State (0.83) nor Dayton (0.94) registered more than one point per possession.

In three seasons in Tucson, Tommy Lloyd has won 88 games, captured two Pac-12 titles and claimed two conference tournament crowns. Now he takes aim at leading Arizona to its first Final Four in 23 years. Ten times since 2001 they’ve advanced to the Sweet 16 but fallen short.

Clemson vs. Arizona Betting Trends

• Clemson is 3-6 ATS in the last 9 games.
• Tigers are 14-6 SU in its last 20 games.
• The total went over in 11 of Clemson’s last 13 games.
• Arizona is 5-2 ATS in the last 7 games.
• Wildcats are 10-1 SU in its last 11 games.
• The total went over in 5 of Arizona’s last 6 games.

Clemson vs. Arizona 2024 Sweet 16 Expert Prediction

Arizona takes the win on Thursday night and heads into the Elite Eight.

Where to Bet on the 2024 March Madness Tournament with Crypto

Nitrobetting offers a solid channel for those who want to bet on the 2024 March Madness Tournament with crypto. The power of crypto and its lightning-fast transactions make the entire NCAAB Season betting more enjoyable.

This is just one of the many sports betting guides that you can read here at Nitrobetting news. Stay tuned for more 2024 March Madness Tournament previews and articles, and don’t forget to check out the latest college basketball odds on our online Crypto sportsbook.

READ MORE: Alabama vs. North Carolina 2024 Sweet 16 Odds and Preview