San Diego State vs. Charleston Prediction, Pick Against the Spread, and Latest Round of 64 odds

San Diego State vs. Charleston Prediction, Pick Against the Spread, and Latest Round of 64 odds

In this March Madness matchup, we have San Diego State, champions of the Mountain West, facing off against College of Charleston. Who has the edge in this first-round 12v5 matchup?

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San Diego State vs. Charleston Start Time and Where to Watch

• Date: March 16, 2023
• Start Time: 3:10 p.m. ET
• Where to Watch: TruTV

San Diego State vs. Charleston Odds

Spread: San Diego State -5.5 (-105), Charleston +5.5 (-109)

Moneyline: San Diego State (-215), Charleston (+185)

Total: Over/Under 141.5 (-110)

Click here for San Diego State vs. Charleston odds

San Diego State vs. Charleston Prediction

The Cougars had a fantastic season as they come into this game with a record of 31-3 and CAA regular season and conference championship wins. Charleston is known for their very up-tempo and efficient offense, as they are ranked 29th in the nation in the shortest time of possession at just 16.0 seconds per touch. They are in the top 100 in most major offensive categories, but their Achilles heel has been 3-point shooting. They shoot just 33.3% as a team, ranking them at 210th nationally.

While this is not a strong suit of their offense, I do believe Charleston will be able to have success due to their ability to finish in the paint and grab offensive rebounds. The Cougars are 17th nationally in offensive rebounding percentage and shoot 53% from the floor on 2-point attempts. 

They will have their work cut out for them against a stifling San Diego State defense that is ranked 10th nationally in adjusted defensive efficiency. While San Diego State is the more experienced team, they did not stack up very well against teams with premier athleticism and above-average offensive talent. They struggled mightily against Arizona at the beginning of the year, giving up 87 points and allowing 75 to BYU, 77 to Ohio State, and 78 to Arkansas.

Charleston, while a mid-major, is very skilled on the offensive end and a team I would consider with premier offensive talent. On the offensive end, SDSU is a middle-of-the-pack offense that is prone to long-scoring droughts that can span multiple minutes at a time. SDSU garners a majority of their points from the free throw line as their physical style of play usually leads to a multitude of fouls leading to them getting into the bonus early and often. This is bad news for the Aztecs, though, as Charleston is 22nd in the nation in the lowest defensive foul rate.

Overall I think this is a very even matchup. Still, I think Charleston will be able to have much more offensive success and should be able to keep this game close, if not win outright, as they have only had one loss outside of four points all season which came back in early November against UNC when the Tar Heels were highly ranked. With that being said, I am rolling with CHARLESTON +5.5 at -109 for 1.5u as one of my most confident plays of the first round.

San Diego State vs. Charleston Pick

Pick: 1.5 u Charleston +5.5 (-109) Bet $150 to collect $287 Caesars has the best odds; click here to bet