San Diego State vs San Jose State Prediction: Can the Cinderella Story Continue in Mountain West Tournament?
San Diego State vs San Jose State Prediction: Can the Cinderella Story Continue in Mountain West Tournament?
Before the 2023 college basketball season started, nobody expected San Jose State to do any damage in the Mountain West. We’re halfway through conference tourney season, and the No. 5 seeded Spartans are still alive. They just won their first Mountain West tournament game since joining the conference in 2013, and they aren’t done yet.
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San Diego State vs San Jose State Start Time, Where to Watch, and Odds
- Date: Friday, March 10, 2023
- Start Time: 9:30 pm ET
- Where to Watch: CBSSN
Click here for San Diego State vs San Jose State odds
San Diego State vs San Jose State Prediction
Coach Miles has done an incredible job of rebuilding this program out of nothing. Fresh off a Mountain West Coach of the Year award, he knows there is still unfinished business to attend to.
Omari Moore is a star and has been playing out of his mind recently. He dropped 26 against Nevada last night, leading the Spartans to victory, and 33 against Air Force to seal a win in overtime. There is no doubt that the fourth-year junior is the key to beating the No. 1 seed Aztecs tonight. The California kid has been looking forward to this opportunity for years. Moore was held to only 11 points in the first matchup against SDSU, his lowest-scoring output since January. The Aztecs' defense is elite, but they are beatable away from their home court; five of SDSU’s six losses came on the road this season.
Was I surprised to see a spread of fewer than 10 points in this David versus Goliath matchup tonight? Yes, especially considering San Diego State destroyed the Spartans by 20 in late January. This Spartans team is playing much better ball of late, winning and covering their previous four games with ease. This San Jose State team reminds me of FGCU’s “dunk city” run a few years back. They win at the rim and aren’t afraid to throw down hammer dunks. The Spartans are big and athletic enough to hang with anyone, even the top-seeded Aztecs. Maybe San Jose State is a team of destiny similar to Florida Gulf Coast years ago.
Although the betting splits are fairly equal on the spread tonight, we are starting to see some spreads move to 8 from the 8.5 opener. This is a great sign for Spartans backers; we want that line as short as possible come tip-off.
The Mountain West runs through San Diego State, but this isn’t your typical defense-first Aztecs squad. They’ve given up more points this season than I’ve ever seen; clearly, Coach Dutcher has realized that defense-first teams tend to struggle in March when the offense goes cold. Typically I wouldn’t be backing an underdog in this tournament as the Aztecs typically run the table with ease, but this year is different. We all know the magic that surrounds postseason college basketball, and San Jose State is playing like a team of destiny. Back the Spartan to keep this one close in what should be the game of the night.
San Diego State vs San Jose State Pick
San Jose State +8.5 (-110) Bet $100 to collect $190 FanDuel has the best odds; click here to bet
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