March Madness action closes out with a National Championship showdown between UConn and San Diego State. This article will examine the best bets for Monday and offer professional opinions and evaluations to assist you in making wise and well-informed betting choices, with the aid of OddsShopper’s college basketball odds and best bets resources. Now onto our National Championship best bets and National Championship predictions.
The legal gambling age is 21+ in most states. Gambling Problem? Call or text 1-800-GAMBLER.
National Championship Best Bet & Prediction
UConn will face San Diego State as a 7.5-point favorite in a game with a 132.5 total. UConn played the more difficult schedule to reach this point, knocking off Iona, Saint Mary’s, Arkansas, Gonzaga and Miami. On the other side, San Diego State defeated Charleston, Furman, Alabama, Creighton and Florida Atlantic on a buzzer beater. With an interesting stylistic matchup on deck, let’s examine this game from a betting perspective.
First of all, UConn has almost every advantage. The Huskies rank ninth in offensive efficiency and 12th on defense, while San Diego State is 119th on offense and 14th on defense. UConn is also 61st in height, led by Adama Sanogo and Donovan Clingan. The Aztecs are 152nd themselves, but the tall end of their roster relies on Nathan Mensah at 6-foot-10 and Jaedon LeDee at 6-foot-9. Not to mention, UConn also plays a nine-man rotation, neutralizing any depth advantages San Diego State typically has. Finally, San Diego State is third in 3-point defense only 153rd on the interior. With Sanogo and Clingan providing elite offensive efficiency numbers, this should be a matchup for UConn to exploit.
With all of that said, 7.5 points is still a lot to lay in a game with a slow pace. San Diego State averages 68.5 possessions per game, but UConn averages 70.3. With a projected pace below the nationwide average, both teams with need to score with more efficiency than normal to eclipse this total. San Diego State already struggles to score, and the pace should keep UConn in check. Of its five tournament games to this point, UConn held its opponents below 60 points in three and at or below 65 in all five. In a similar slow game earlier in the tournament, UConn scored 70 points against Saint Mary’s. With a similar environment here, 70 points in a win should be enough to keep the under live.
National Championship Best Bet: Under 132.5 (-110) at BetMGM
