The College of Charleston Cougars enter the NCAA tournament tied with just Houston and Florida Atlantic University for the best record this season at 31-3. They will be looking for their first NCAA Tournament victory since 1997 when they knocked off the No. 5-seeded Maryland Terrapins.
This will be the Aztecs’ third straight NCAA Tournament appearance, but they have not won a game at the Big Dance since 2015. This is one of the best San Diego State teams in the past 10 years, and expectations are high.
The No. 12 seed has had a 35.4 winning percentage over the No. 5 seed since 1985, and at least one No. 12 seed has won their first-round matchup in 31 of the last 36 years. Will Charleston pull off the upset this year?
Read on for my San Diego State vs Charleston prediction and best bets.
San Diego State vs Charleston Odds
Note: CBB odds mentioned in this article for San Diego State vs Charleston were used from DraftKings Sportsbook, unless otherwise noted, and are current as of Tuesday, March 14, at 11 a.m. ET.
- Moneyline: San Diego State (-215) | Charleston (+185)
- Spread: San Diego State -5.5 (-110) | Charleston +5.5 (-110)
- Total: Over 141.5 (-110) | Under 141.5 (-110)
San Diego State vs Charleston Pick of the Day
Keep reading for more San Diego State vs Charleston betting tips.
San Diego State vs Charleston Prediction
San Diego State 71, Charleston 64
Charleston is going to be a very popular pick from the public to pull off this upset but this is the worst matchup they could’ve asked for. Charleston takes more three-pointers per game than anyone else in Division 1, averaging 29.9 attempts from beyond the arc per game.
They make threes at a 33.3% clip and rely on the long ball to win their games.
San Diego State is one of the best teams in the nation in defending the three-ball, restricting their opponents to under 30% from distance. They are 10th in KenPom’s adjusted defensive efficiency rankings and force their opponents into tough shots.
They do not have a dynamic offense, so if Charleston gets out to a lead, it might be hard for the Aztecs to play catch up.
If Charleston gets hot from three, they will win this game, but my bet is on the Aztecs’ defense to get the job done.
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San Diego State vs Charleston Best Bets
San Diego State -5.5 (-110) | DraftKings Sportsbook
WAGER: 1 Unit
As much as I love the upsets during March Madness, this is just a brutal matchup for the No. 12-seeded Cougars. They live and die by the three, which isn’t a team that you want to put money on because of the volatility.
The safer play here is backing the Aztecs to cover the 5.5-point spread and advancing to the Round of 32.
San Diego State vs Charleston Same Game Parlay
San Diego State vs Charleston SGP (+125) | DraftKings Sportsbook
WAGER: 1 Unit
- San Diego State ML (-235)
- Game Total Under 144.5 (-170)
I expect this game to be below the 145-point mark because of the Aztecs stifling defense. If they control the Cougars’ three-point shooting then this game will go way Under since the Aztecs also play at a slow pace averaging just above 68 possessions per game.
