The UC Irvine Anteaters take on the San Diego State Aztecs. Check out our college basketball odds series for our UC Irvine San Diego State prediction and pick.
The San Diego State Aztecs look like a very good team, but they definitely missed an opportunity last week in Hawaii at the Maui Invitational. SDSU led Arkansas for most of the way in the third-place game but let a late lead slip away. Arkansas, under head coach Eric Musselman, is known for getting off to slow starts but then scrambling late to rally and win games in the final several minutes. That's exactly what happened against the Aztecs, who fell to the Razorbacks in overtime and went 1-2 in the three-game Maui tournament. San Diego State had lost to Arizona in the semifinals, so it was important to boost the team's resume by bouncing back and beating Arkansas. Letting that game slip away will reduce San Diego State's NCAA Tournament seed. The Aztecs have to win their other remaining high-end nonconference games if they want to significantly improve their profile.
San Diego State is a defense-first program. Previous coach Steve Fisher established the template, and current coach Brian Dutcher has continued it. The Aztecs are allowing opponents to score in the 70s. This team has to find a way to get a few more key stops in crunch-time situations.
UC Irvine has lost only one game this season, but it came against an unexpected opponent. The Anteaters won at Oregon. That's the game they figured to lose. They controlled the Ducks all night in Eugene and scored a huge win over a Pac-12 opponent. However, Irvine did not play well at all on offense in an unexpected loss to Pepperdine. That game could be an albatross around this team if it enters March with any possible hope of an at-large bid. It's not likely — the Big West is almost always a one-bid league in modern times — but it is still worth noting.
UC Irvine coach Russell Turner is one of the best mid-major coaches in the country. He and his team will look forward to the challenge of taking on a San Diego State squad which might suffer a letdown after two rough losses in Maui.
Courtesy of FanDuel, here are the UC Irvine-San Diego State College Basketball odds.
College Basketball Odds: UC Irvine-San Diego State Odds
UC Irvine Anteaters: +11.5 (-104)
San Diego State Aztecs: -11.5 (-118)
Over: 136.5 (-110)
Under: 136.5 (-110)
Why UC Irvine Could Cover the Spread
The prospect of a San Diego State letdown is very real. The Aztecs played three high-level games and had just one win to show for it. SDSU has a great team work ethic, but human nature being what it is, San Diego State could easily let down its guard and not perform with maximum energy and hunger in this contest. The Aztecs might still be thinking about the Arkansas game that got away from them. UC Irvine has already won on the road at Oregon this season. If it could do that, it can just as certainly win at San Diego State.
Why San Diego State Could Cover the Spread
The Aztecs are a good team. They pushed Arizona for about 32 to 33 minutes. They outplayed Arkansas for a majority of that overtime game. When this team is locked in, it is very hard to deal with. This should be an NCAA Tournament team without question. One can't say the same for Irvine.
Final UC Irvine-San Diego State Prediction & Pick
Stay away from this game, given that we don't know how San Diego State will respond to its Maui disappointment. If you insist on a pick, however, take Irvine.
Final UC Irvine-San Diego State Prediction & Pick: UC Irvine +11.5
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