LOS ANGELES — Clemson basketball narrowly escaped No. 3 seed Baylor in its 72-64 win Sunday at FedExForum in Memphis, Tennessee, to advance to the Sweet 16 of the NCAA Tournament for the first time since 2018.

After losing in the ACC tournament second round to Boston College, the sixth-seeded Tigers (23-11) used the defeat to fuel their March Madness run, beating No. 11 seed New Mexico and the Bears, and will look to take care of No. 2 seed Arizona Thursday (7:09 p.m. ET, CBS) at Crytpto.com Arena.

"We had a quiet confidence about us coming here," Clemson coach Brad Brownell said Sunday. "The loss probably helped a little bit because it allowed me to get their attention after losing like that."

Meanwhile, the Wildcats (27-8) finished with the best regular-season in the Pac-12 and are coming off an 85-65 win against No. 15 seed Long Beach State and a 78-68 victory against No. 7 seed Dayton.

Here are three things to know, the betting lines and a score prediction for this matchup:

Clemson basketball makes Sweet 16 for the fifth time in school history

The Tigers carried over their momentum from the first round and put on a show against Baylor for most of the game. Their offense was dynamic, building an early 10-point lead then a 61-46 lead with 6:41 remaining in the contest. Defensively, Clemson held the Bears, a team that made 16 3-pointers in the first round, to six 3-pointers.

Clemson nearly squandered the game in the final minutes, missing every field-goal attempt after building the 15-point lead and Baylor going on a 20-5 run. Ja'Kobe Walter missed two late free throws that would have tied the contest, but it led to the Tigers icing the game.

"There were times in this game where they started coming back," Clemson guard Hunter said. "We made sure we got a stop when we needed it."

Can PJ Hall stay out of foul trouble?

Hall has battled foul trouble in his first two NCAA Tournament games, finishing with four in 19 minutes against New Mexico and fouling out in 20 minutes against Baylor. His availability will be critical as the Tigers face tougher competition.

"It was hard," Brownell said. "I felt bad that he wasn't playing up to his level, but the way the game was going, that's basketball."

The Spartanburg native, who leads the team in scoring and blocked shots, will have to be especially mindful of fouls against the Wildcats. Arizona led the Pac-12 in free-throws made and attempted this season.

MORE: Clemson basketball tickets in 2024 NCAA Tournament: Sweet 16 prices, how to buy

What makes the Arizona Wildcats formidable?

Arizona has the third-best scoring offense in the nation with 87.6 points per game. It has four players that average double-digit scoring — Caleb Love, Pelle Larsson, Oumar Ballo and Keshad Johnson — and five players scored in double figures against Dayton.

The Wildcats receive a bunch of their points in transition, scoring 16.3 fastbreak points per game that ranks second in the country. Another component is their rebounding, averaging 42.5 boards per game that is also second in college basketball. Ballo leads the team with 10 rebounds per game, which ranks second in the Pac-12.

Defensively, Arizona allows 71.9 points per game, leading the conference in average steals (8.3). It causes 13.5 turnovers per game and has forced double-digit turnovers in six of its last seven games.

Clemson vs Arizona odds, spread in Sweet 16 bracket

Clemson basketball is the underdog to defeat Arizona in the Sweet 16 of March Madness, according to BetMGM odds. Here’s the latest spread, money line and odds for the NCAA Tournament game.

• Spread: Clemson (+7.5)

• Moneyline: Clemson (+260), Arizona (-350)

• Over/under: 152.5

Clemson prediction vs Arizona in March Madness’ Sweet 16

Arizona 76, Clemson 72: 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.

Derrian Carter covers Clemson athletics for The Greenville News and the USA TODAY Network. Email him at dcarter@gannett.com and follow him on X, formerly known as Twitter, @DerrianCarter00

This article originally appeared on Greenville News: Clemson vs Arizona prediction, Sweet 16 odds: March Madness pick is in