2023 NCAA Tournament national championship game: San Diego State vs. UConn odds, bets, picks from top expert
The eyes of the college basketball world will be on NRG Stadium on Monday as the 2023 NCAA national championship game unfolds in Houston. The 2023 NCAA Tournament wraps with a matchup between the Connecticut Huskies and the San Diego State Aztecs after each team won its Final Four matchup on Saturday. San Diego State toppled Florida Atlantic at the buzzer, improving to 32-6 overall and with an active nine-game winning streak. UConn is 30-8 overall after a 72-59 win over Miami and five tournament wins by double figures.
Caesars Sportsbook lists the Huskies as 7-point favorites for this 9:20 p.m. ET tip on CBS. The total number of points Vegas thinks will be scored, or the over/under, is 131.5 in the latest San Diego State vs. UConn odds. Before making any UConn vs. San Diego State picks, be sure to see the NCAA national championship game predictions from SportsLine's Matt Severance.
Severance is a well-connected writer and handicapper who has worked in the industry since 2005. He is SportsLine's top college basketball expert, entering the national championship game on a sizzling 173-111-1 (+1921) roll on his college basketball picks. Anyone following him is way up.
Now, the expert has his sights on San Diego State vs. UConn and locked in his NCAA national championship picks. You can visit SportsLine now to see the picks. Here are the college basketball lines and trends for San Diego State vs. UConn:
- San Diego State vs. UConn spread: UConn -7
- San Diego State vs. UConn over/under: 131.5 points
- San Diego State vs. UConn money line: San Diego State +275, UConn -350
- SDSU: The Aztecs are 6-0-1 against the spread in their last seven games following an ATS loss
- CONN: The Huskies are 5-0 ATS in their last five games against a team with a winning % above .600
- San Diego State vs. UConn picks: See picks at SportsLine
Why UConn can cover
UConn is crushing the competition in the 2023 NCAA Tournament, out-scoring opponents by more than 20 points per game and winning all five games by double figures. The Huskies are electric on offense, but UConn also has a stout defense to lean on in this matchup. Dan Hurley's team is allowing only 94.2 points per 100 possessions this season, and opponents are shooting just 40.1% against UConn. That includes 44.6% on 2-point attempts and 29.8% on 3-point attempts, with the Huskies blocking 12.6% of shots.
UConn is very strong on the defensive glass, grabbing more than 74% of available rebounds, and the Huskies force a turnover on 18.5% of possessions. Opponents average only 9.2 assists per game against UConn, and San Diego State has some notable offensive shortcomings. The Aztecs are below the national average in overall shooting efficiency and assist rate, with San Diego State shooting only 48.8% inside the arc this season. See which side to back at SportsLine.
Why San Diego State can cover
The Aztecs have been stingy on defense, holding opponents to under 41% shooting from the floor on the year. Offensively, senior guard Matt Bradley is a big reason for San Diego State's success this season. Bradley is coming off a 21-point and six-rebound performance in the 72-71 national semifinal win over Florida Atlantic on Saturday. In 38 games, all starts, Bradley is averaging 12.7 points, 3.8 rebounds and 2.1 assists.
Senior guard Darrion Trammell has had a solid tournament, reaching double-digit scoring in three of the five games. He scored 21 points and grabbed five rebounds in the Sweet 16 win over top overall seed Alabama. He had 12 points and five boards in the Elite Eight upset win over Creighton. In 37 games, including 36 starts, Trammell is averaging 9.7 points, three assists, 2.4 rebounds and 1.3 steals. See which side to back at SportsLine.
How to make San Diego State vs. UConn picks
For Monday's matchup, Severance is leaning Under on the total, but he also says a critical X-factor makes one side of the spread a must-back. See what it is at SportsLine.
Who wins San Diego State vs. UConn? And which side of the spread hits hard? Visit SportsLine now to see which side of the San Diego State vs. UConn spread you need to jump on Monday, all from the expert who's on a 173-111 roll on his college basketball picks.
