March Madness Team Betting Preview: San Diego State Aztecs
The Mountain West Conference Tournament and regular-season champion San Deigo State Aztecs occupy the six-seed line in the Midwest Region. The Aztecs were a player to win it all before the NCAA Tournament was canceled last season. While expectations weren’t as high entering the 2020-21 campaign, this team is still extremely dangerous.
After an extremely successful season, San Diego State will look to carry the momentum of their conference tournament title into the Big Dance. Read on for an overview of the San Diego State Aztecs and a prognosis for how they’ll fare in the NCAA Tournament.
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San Diego State Aztecs Betting Preview
Record: 23-4 overall, 14-3 Mountain West
ATS: 14-12
O/U: 13-12-1
Points Scored/Game: 74.1 (93rd overall, 4th in Mountain West)
Points Allowed/Game: 60.6 (7th overall, 1st in Mountain West)
Outright Odds: +5000 (BettingPros Consensus)
Team Strengths
When it comes to strengths, how do balance, depth, and a conference player of the year sound? San Diego State has all three — and in a big way at that. The Aztecs are led by forward Matt Mitchell, who earned Mountain West Player of the Year honors for his phenomenal season. Out front, the guard trio of Jordan Schakel, Trey Pulliam, and CSU Northridge transfer Terrell Gomez can play with any backcourt in the country. In terms of depth, the Aztecs receive vital contributions from five bench players regularly.
Of course, SDSU also brings a championship-caliber defense to the table. The Aztecs ranked in the top-10 nationally in scoring defense, allowing just 60.6 points per game.
Team Weaknesses
While a first-round matchup against the 2-3 zone of Syracuse doesn’t raise concerns about pace, it’s fair to wonder how San Diego State will do if they go up against an opponent that manages to speed up the game. San Diego State shot over 45% from three-point range as a team, but if the shooting goes cold in the tournament, can they generate points and quality shot attempts in other ways? An overreliance on Matt Mitchell in such a scenario could be problematic.
Why They’ll Win it All
San Diego State has it all. From a top-notch defense to experienced players who don’t try to do more than they can, the Aztecs are as dangerous a six-seed as they come. This team is firmly capable of playing with anyone in the field. They come into the tournament red-hot following their Mountain West championship.
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Why They Won’t Win it All
Given that they are only a six-seed, the Aztecs’ road through the Midwest Region will be far from easy. We’ve seen the patented Syracuse zone cause problems for teams seeded above them in years past. If SDSU gets through that matchup, they will likely run into another scrappy defensive team in three-seed West Virginia in the Round of 32. This team is outstanding, but so are those around them in the bracket.
San Diego State Aztecs March Madness Prediction
Perhaps I’m a bit too high on the Aztecs and the Mountain West Conference as a whole, but I see this team making a run. As was already mentioned, nothing will be easy, and they could very well lose in the first round. But San Diego State is as deep and balanced as arguably any team in the tournament. If a second go-to offensive option can emerge alongside Matt Mitchell consistently, the Aztecs will be a force to be reckoned with.
I’ll go ahead and call a second-round upset of West Virginia to send SDSU into the second weekend. At that point, I would take them over 2-seed Houston or whichever other team they might face in the Sweet 16 as well. An Elite 8 showdown with top-seed Illinois would be a doozy of a matchup if we get it!
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Henry John is a featured writer at BettingPros. For more from Henry, check out his archive and follow him @HankTimeSports.