Charleston vs. San Diego State predictions: Who wins NCAA Tournament first-round game?

Jeremy Cluff, Arizona Republic
·4 min read

No. 12 seed College of Charleston and No. 5 seed San Diego State face off on Thursday in an NCAA Tournament first-round game.

The game is scheduled for 12:10 p.m. MST and can be seen on truTV.

Who will win the game?

Check out these picks and predictions for the contest.

San Diego State is a 5.5-point favorite in the game, according to Tipico Sportsbook.

FanDuel: San Diego State 70, Charleston 66

Larry Rupp writes: "The Aztecs' defense is what will make all the difference here, though. San Diego State is allowing only 63.8 points per game (No. 26 in NCAA) on an opponent shooting percentage of 41.6% (No. 48). It is also averaging 6.0 blocks over its last three games, which has led to an increase in fast break scoring. I side with the Aztecs here in a win that would end their four-game NCAA Tournament losing streak."

Sporting News: Take Charleston to upset San Diego State

Sam Jarden writes: "Charleston will need to figure out a way to overcome SDSU's stingy defense, but it has the tools to do so. Brzovic is a force in the paint, and plenty of shooters can knock down shots from beyond the arc. At least on paper, this looks like a good matchup for the Cougars.  Go with the upset here. Charleston's dynamic offensive attack will help lead it to the victory and into the second round, where it will face 4-seed Virginia or 13-seed Furman."

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Fansided: Take San Diego State to cover against Charleston

Reed Wallach writes: "I expect the Aztecs to dictate the pace as well, the team allows the lowest frequency of transition opportunities in the country. That’s a problem for the up-tempo Cougars attack that is 30th in adjusted tempo and have nearly 30% of their offense come in transition, per Hoop-Math. If Charleston can’t run, their offense takes a hit, 273rd in non transition effective field goal percentage. While Mountain West teams have struggled in the NCAA Tournament recently, I think this matchup is a nightmare for the Cougars and the Aztecs roll."

NCAA Tournament odds: 2023 March Madness point spreads, money lines, over/unders for games

Will Charleston upset San Diego State in the first round of the NCAA Tournament?
Will Charleston upset San Diego State in the first round of the NCAA Tournament?

Sportsbook Wire: San Diego State 74, Charleston 68

It writes: "San Diego State has compiled a 15-16-1 record against the spread this season. Charleston (SC) has covered 19 times in 33 chances against the spread this year."

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Sports Chat Place: Go with Charleston with the points

Randy Chambers writes: "The San Diego State Aztecs are going to be favored for obvious reasons, but Charleston is a live dog capable of pulling off the upset. Charleston is one of the best offensive teams in the country, defends the 3 well and beat Virginia Tech while also dropping 86 points on North Carolina on the road. The Charleston Cougars are a dangerous double-digit seed. Give me the points, and I’ll sprinkle something on the ML as well."

Reach Jeremy Cluff at jeremy.cluff@arizonarepublic.com. Follow him on Twitter @Jeremy_Cluff.

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This article originally appeared on Arizona Republic: Charleston vs. San Diego State predictions for March Madness game