San Diego State vs Furman Prediction, Odds & Best Bet for March 18 NCAA Tournament Game (Aztecs Defense Steps Up)

San Diego State vs Furman Game Info

• 2022-23 NCAA Tournament Game
• No. 18 San Diego State (28-6) vs. Furman (28-7)
• Date: Saturday, March 18, 2023
• Time: 12:10 PM ET
• Venue: Amway Center -- Orlando, Florida
• Coverage: CBS

The 2023 NCAA Tournament continues on Saturday with an exciting Round of 32 matchup between the No. 13 Furman Paladins and No. 5 San Diego State Aztecs. Furman is coming off its first win in the big dance since 1974, while San Diego State ended a four-game tourney losing streak on Thursday.

Furman took down No. 4-seeded Virginia by a score of 68-67 after causing a crucial turnover with under 10 seconds left, which resulted in a go-ahead three-pointer by JP Pegues. Meanwhile, San Diego State held Charleston to a 32.1% shooting mark and snuck by in a 63-57 first round victory.

San Diego State vs Furman Odds & Spread

• All college basketball betting lines, odds and prop bets are from FanDuel Sportsbook.
• Moneyline: SDSU: (-250) | FURMAN: (+202)
• Spread: SDSU: -5.5 (-120) | FURMAN: +5.5 (-102)
• Total: 137.5 -- Over: (-115) | Under: (-105)

San Diego State enters this contest as a moderate favorite on the moneyline and spread per FanDuel Sportsbook's odds. This 12:10 p.m. ET clash also features an over/under of 137.5 points, which is about average compared to Saturday's projected totals.

San Diego State vs Furman Betting Trends

• San Diego State has 17 wins in 33 games against the spread this season.
• The Aztecs have an ATS record of 11-10 as 5.5-point favorites or more.
• Out of 33 San Diego State's games so far this year, 14 have gone over the total.
• Furman has beaten the spread 19 times in 32 games.
• The Paladins have one win ATS (1-1) as a 5.5-point underdog or more this season.
• There have been 18 Furman games (out of 32) that went over the total this season.

San Diego State Rank	San Diego State AVG		Furman AVG	Furman Rank
180th	71.8	Points Scored	81.7	9th
28th	63.4	Points Allowed	71.1	211th
98th	33.0	Rebounds	32.8	113th
103rd	9.3	Off. Rebounds	8.7	162nd
212th	7.1	3pt Made	9.5	19th
149th	13.4	Assists	16.9	8th
94th	11.0	Turnovers	10.7	61st

San Diego State vs Furman Prediction & Pick

Furman was the first of three double-digit seeds to win on Thursday and showcased why they were a popular Cinderella pick prior to tip-off. Jalen Slawson led the way (19 points & 10 rebounds) as the Paladins fought back from an 12-point deficit. They are in for another battle on Saturday afternoon.

San Diego State's defense showed up against Charleston. The Cougars shot only 5-of-24 from long range as seemingly every shot was heavily contested. That should come as no surprise as the Aztecs finished 20th in defensive efficiency and 25th in opponent points per game (63.6) this season.

Going against the upset is never fun, but San Diego State ended the Mountain West Conference's three-year tournament losing streak on Thursday and owns an 13-5 record in away/neutral sit games this season. The Aztecs' defense is going to be too relentless for the Paladins to overcome this time.

Final Score Prediction: San Diego State: 71 | Furman: 61

San Diego State vs Furman Best Bet

With great defense tends to come low-scoring games. That is the case with the Aztecs as the total has hit the under in each of their last nine contests. The under has also cashed in 11 of their 18 games away from Viejas Arena. Expect more of the same here.

Furman's offense is not to be underestimated, but it was held to 68 points by a Virginia defense that ranks below San Diego State in terms of efficiency and opponent effective field goal percentage. The Paladins are going to struggle to cross the 60-point mark, which only makes the under more enticing.

Bet: Under 137.5 Points (-105)

Larry Rupp is not a FanDuel employee. In addition to providing DFS gameplay advice, Larry Rupp also participates in DFS contests on FanDuel using his personal account, username phillyfan424. While the strategies and player selections recommended in his articles are his personal views, he may deploy different strategies and player selections when entering contests with his personal account. The views expressed in their articles are the author's alone and do not necessarily reflect the views of FanDuel. 

Game odds refresh periodically and are subject to change.