We started with 68 teams and now find ourselves with two remaining, as March Madness odds have heavily fluctuated over the last three weeks. From buzzer-beater to double-digit wins, San Diego State and UConn punched their tickets into the national title game Saturday night.
We have our March Madness picks for tomorrow's final, but before that, we've put together a list of things you should know before placing any wagers on the big game. Check it out below!
Be sure to also check out our college basketball picks page so you don't miss out on any of the action here at Covers.
San Diego State vs UConn odds
San Diego State vs. UConn is not the matchup we all had envisioned, but here we are. The San Diego State Aztecs come into this matchup as a No. 5 seed and will be riding the high of Lamont Butler's buzzer-beater over FAU. That win marked the second-straight 1-point victory for SDSU and the fourth of the tournament that has been decided within seven points.
Meanwhile, the UConn Huskies have been on cruise control in March, with their 72-59 win over Miami being their lowest win margin in the tournament. With such a drastic difference in paths to the final, it's no surprise UConn is listed as a 7.5-point favorite — with some 7s popping up this afternoon.
As for the total, it sits at a modest 132.5 after money came in on the Over for the initial line of 131. However, some lines of 131 or 131.5 remain. San Diego State has made its name on defense, but the Huskies may be too much for even it to handle.
Looking to bet on March Madness action? Here are two of the best bonuses* available:
A) New users at DraftKings can bet $5 and get $150 in bonus bets! Opt-in Now
B) UConn to score 70+ points and win BOOSTED to +150 (was -110) at FanDuel! Bet Now
*Eligible USA locations only. Also, check out our full list of best March Madness promotions for 2023.
21+. Gambling Problem? Call 1-800-GAMBLER.
San Diego State vs UConn latest news
UConn has the opportunity to bring the D-1 National title back to the Big East for the first time since 2018 when Villanova won it.
The last time each P6 conference won the National Championship:
— College Basketball Report (@CBKReport) April 2, 2023
PAC 12: 1997
B1G 10: 2000
ACC: 2019
SEC: 2012
Big 12: 2022
Big East: 2018
This will also be the Huskies' first title since winning over Kentucky in 2014. As for San Diego State, it became the first Mountain West team to ever reach the Final Four this season, and now it'll play in the first-ever National Championship Game.
UConn finished 13-7 in regular season conference play this year but fell to Marquette in the conference tournament, while SDSU finished with a 15-3 conference record and captured the Mountain West championship over Utah State.
Love them or hate them, you simply cannot argue against the level of dominance the Huskies have portrayed in this tournament.
The 2018 Villanova team that won a national title had an average margin of victory of 17.6 PPG in the NCAA Tournament.
— Jon Rothstein (@JonRothstein) April 2, 2023
UConn is beating opponents by an average of 20.6 PPG in the 2023 NCAA Tournament. https://t.co/KKkzXWymSn
UConn's win margin of 20.6 ppg is simply unheard of and should not go ignored when looking at the spread. The Huskies have covered easily in all five of their tournament games and proved they can still dominate in a dome setting, putting up 72 points in their Final Four win.
As for SDSU, it is 4-1 ATS in this year's tournament with its lone miss happening against FAU as -2.5-point favorites.
San Diego State vs UConn injuries
Injuries hamper all sports, but thankfully there are no big-time players expected to miss this matchup. There were some concerns Jordan Hawkins would miss UConn's Final Four match with an illness, but the shooting guard played and scored 13 points in 26 minutes.
San Diego State vs UConn splits
The line initially opened with UConn as a 6.5-point favorite, but heavy action on the Huskies propelled this line up to -7.5. As of today, BetMGM is currently seeing 68% of side action on UConn with those bets taking up 81% of handle. As for the total of 132.5, 78% of bets are riding the Over with 84% of money also leaning that way. It's important to note however that just yesterday BetMGM had reported 75% of bets on the Huskies, so the public is starting to believe in the Aztecs.
As of right now, the Covers' Consensus is seeing 52% of bets riding on the Huskies as of Sunday afternoon. As for the total, 67% of bettors are siding with the Over at 132.5.
