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The Charleston Cougars take on the San Diego State Aztecs. Our March Madness odds series has our Charleston San Diego State prediction and pick. Find out how to watch Charleston San Diego State.
This game is going to be one of the most fascinating first-round games in the 2023 NCAA Tournament. Everyone who follows college basketball with some degree of historical awareness knows that in nearly every NCAA Tournament, at least one No. 12 seed beats a No. 5 seed. It doesn’t always happen, but it usually does happen. When people fill out their brackets, they ask themselves where the 12-over-5 upset is going to come from. You are going to see a lot of action on all the 12-5 games, and they will become big discussion points when the tournament gets underway. This is one of the four games which will test a lot of fans’ instincts and a lot of commentators’ expert predictions. The other three 12-5 games, for the record: Oral Roberts versus Duke, Drake versus Miami, and Saint Mary’s versus Virginia Commonwealth.
We will see how all of these games unfold, but Charleston-San Diego State might be the most discussed game of all for some reasons we will unroll below:
Here are the Charleston-San Diego State March Madness odds, courtesy of FanDuel:
March Madness Odds: Charleston-San Diego State Odds
Charleston Cougars: +5.5 (-110)
San Diego State Aztecs: -5.5 (-110)
Over: 141.5 (-110)
Under: 141.5 (-110)
How To Watch Charleston vs. San Diego State
TV: TruTV
Stream: CBSSports.com, March Madness app, fuboTV
Time: 3:10 p.m. ET, 12:10 p.m. PT
*Watch Charleston-San Diego State LIVE with fuboTV (Click for free trial)*
Why Charleston Could Cover The Spread
The Charleston Cougars have a proven mid-major coach, Pat Kelsey. They have won 31 games this season. This team definitely knows how to win, and winning breeds more winning and more confidence. This team will be fearless, and it won’t back down from a fight. Start there.
The Cougars are also playing this game in Orlando, making it a semi-home game for them, not the higher-seeded San Diego State team they will face. Charleston will bring a lot more fans to this game. Charleston had a short commute to this game. San Diego had to make a long cross-country flight. We also need to point out that San Diego State finished its conference tournament this past Saturday. Charleston has had several days of additional rest compared to the Aztecs, who might be slightly tired — mentally as much as physically — in this game.
Also, the Mountain West Conference has struggled in recent NCAA Tournaments, a fact underscored by Nevada’s total no-show against Arizona State in the First Four on Wednesday night. Charleston playing this game close seems very likely.
Why San Diego State Could Cover The Spread
The Aztecs lost to Creighton in the first round of the 2022 NCAA Tournament. They have a veteran team full of upperclassmen which knows how to play, knows how to defend, and knows how to play tough, poised basketball late in games and late in shot-clock situations. The Aztecs will not get rattled under pressure, and their win in the Mountain West Conference Tournament proved how strong they are. They held firm in the quarterfinals against Colorado State. They stayed the course in a close final against Utah State. They will fend off Charleston with their defense and experience.
Final Charleston-San Diego State Prediction & Pick
Even if Charleston doesn’t pull the 12-over-5 upset, it has a great chance of at least staying close. This is one of the better spread plays of the first round: Charleston plus the points.
Final Charleston-San Diego State Prediction & Pick: Charleston +5.5