An epic second-round matchup between two solid basketball programs will go head-to-head as 14-seed Furman will look to extend their Cinderella story versus five-seed San Diego State. Join us for our March Madness odds series where our Furman-San Diego State prediction and pick will be revealed.
Already securing one of the top moments in March Madness with their last-second victory over Virginia to pull off the massive upset, another underdog victory would no doubt send the entire university into a ruckus on their way to a Sweet 16 birth. Can the Paladins hang around long enough like they did in the opening round when they put the finishing touches on an NCAA Tournament masterpiece in the closing seconds of that all-time great classic.
Presenting a similar style of play to who Furman just beat, San Diego State is a slow-paced squad that strives themselves on the defensive end of the floor. In their opening-round survival over Charleston, the Aztecs stood firm on what they're good at by forcing stops and using that to fuel their offense. While they might lack offensive weapons, this Aztecs' crew are the real deal.
Here are the Furman-San Diego State March Madness odds, courtesy of FanDuel.
March Madness Odds: Furman-San Diego State Odds
Furman: +5.5 (-110)
San Diego State: -5.5 (-110)
Over: 137.5 (-115)
Under: 137.5 (-105)
How To Watch Furman vs. San Diego State
TV: CBS
Stream: CBS Sports App
Time: 12:10 pm ET/ 9:10 am PT
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Why Furman Could Cover The Spread
The biggest thing that stood out against Virginia was obviously their resilience to withstand Virginia when it was all said and done, but instead, their effectiveness to exploit the Cavaliers' half-court offense is what ended up being the difference. As a whole, Furman shot 10-28 from beyond the arc and did enough damage offensively without senior guard Mike Bothwell has he fouled out after only 11 points on 20 minutes from the floor. Regardless, it was a balanced attack that saw four Paladins in double figures. While they will certainly need all of the scorings they can get against the Aztecs, more of this balanced scoring will need to be in order to cover the spread.
In addition, Furman has been as reliable as they come against the spread with a superb 19-12 record. Not only are the Paladins extremely dependable, but Furman bettors should keep in mind that they are also a splendid 10-1 ATS in their last 11 games versus teams with winning records.
Above all else, getting clean looks on the offensive end will be critical in how much success Furman finds against the suffocating San Diego State defense. Believe it or not, the Paladins rank second in all of college basketball in two-point percentage offense while also being an elite three-point shooting team, so it is tough to go wrong with this offense.
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Why San Diego State Could Cover The Spread
Without a doubt, the headlines all season long and for the past few years has been how dominant this defense is, and for good reason. Simply put, while the Aztecs are simply not a one-trick pony, it has been a ferocious defensive ranked as the ninth-unit in all of the land that fuels all of the other areas of this team.
If there is one area for concern for the Aztecs in regards to this second-round matchup, it is the tendency that SDSU has to go cold from the field shooting-wise. Alas, the Aztecs are not a very good offensive team by any means, as they are led by senior guard Matt Bradley who happens to lead the team in scoring at only 13.1 PPG. After only shooting 4-16 from beyond the arc versus a heavily undersized Charleston squad, and if Furman is hitting their shots from the outside, then the Aztecs will need to at least be average from deep.
From a sheer physical standpoint, it is difficult to find a team in the tournament that is as strong and sturdy then San Diego State. With that being said, the Aztecs should have a considerable advantage down low, as the only way the Aztecs could fall behind in this one is if they are lazy with their perimeter defense which eventually leads to Furman getting hot from deep.
The biggest X-factor for the Aztecs will happen to be the Mountain West Defensive Player Nathan Mensah establishing the paint and staying out of foul trouble. The 6'10” center from Ghana, Mensah will have the height advantage over Furman's bigs and cannot afford to play timid on both ends of the floor.
Final Furman-San Diego State Prediction & Pick
Do the Furman Paladins have some more tricks up their sleeves against a San Diego State team with a similar blueprint as Virginia? Unfortunately for the Cinderella-worthy Paladins, the SDSU defense is on a whole other level in comparison to Virginia and should find a way to slow down Furman's hectic offensive pace throughout.
Final Furman-San Diego State Prediction & Pick: San Diego State -5.5 (-110)
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