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The FGCU Eagles take on the San Diego Toreros. Check out our college basketball odds series for our FGCU San Diego prediction and pick.
The Florida Gulf Coast Eagles had a smashing start to their season on Monday night. They are beginning their season in the state of California, working their way through Southern California before they return to Fort Myers, Fla., for their home opener. This San Diego game is the second leg of their California trip, but their first game — their opener — was a brilliant 74-61 upset of the USC Trojans.
You probably know that USC coach Andy Enfield previously coached at Florida Gulf Coast. You also probably know that Enfield guided the Eagles to the Sweet 16 in the 2013 NCAA Tournament, making them the first No. 15 seed to reach the Sweet 16. Oral Roberts became the second 15 seed to go that far. Saint Peter's became the third last year, and the Peacocks then became the first 15 seed to make the Elite Eight.
It had to be sweet for Florida Gulf Coast to beat Enfield. More importantly, USC was an NCAA Tournament team last season. The Trojans beat FGCU in Fort Myers in the regular season. The Eagles gained some payback.
FGCU's upset was achieved on defense. The Eagles held USC to 3-of-19 3-point shooting. The Eagles did not allow USC to get many dunks or free throw opportunities. It was simply a solid all-around performance from a defense which also forced 15 turnovers. Florida Gulf Coast could not have played much better at the defensive end of the floor. That kind of effort, if sustained, will lead to very good results for this team.
San Diego finished last season 15-16. Were the Toreros especially strong? No, of course not. However, the West Coast Conference was loaded last season. Gonzaga, Saint Mary's, and San Francisco made the NCAA Tournament. Gonzaga was a No. 1 seed. Saint Mary's was a top-five seed which won an NCAA Tournament game. San Francisco lost a thriller to a very good Murray State team. Those were three quality teams. Santa Clara and BYU also had plenty of talent. San Diego got caught in a very tough conference. It will be interesting to see if the Toreros can rise this year while other WCC teams might potentially regress. San Diego might have been better than its 15-16 record indicated last season.
Courtesy of FanDuel, here are the FGCU-San DiegoCollege Basketball odds.
College Basketball Odds: FGCU-San Diego Odds
FGCU Eagles: +3.5 (-110)
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San Diego Toreros: -3.5 (-110)
Over: 146.5 (-110)
Under: 146.5 (-110)
Why FGCU Could Cover the Spread
This team has to be full of confidence after playing a complete game and thrashing USC by 13 points. Keep in mind that Florida Gulf Coast was a 22-point underdog heading into that USC contest. The Eagles covered by 35 points and cashed on the moneyline as well. We don't know too much about San Diego, but we know that Florida Gulf Coast can play some defense.
Why San Diego Could Cover the Spread
The Toreros might indeed be better than advertised due to the depth of the West Coast Conference, which has improved as a basketball league in recent years and has cultivated more formidable teams, such as (not included in the above paragraphs) the Portland Pilots and Pepperdine Waves. San Diego might be undervalued because of the WCC's growth.
Final FGCU-San Diego Prediction & Pick
It is really hard to ignore or look past Florida Gulf Coast's strong showing on the road against USC. Take the Eagles against the spread as a road underdog in California.
Final FGCU-San Diego Prediction & Pick: FGCU +3.5
