UAB vs. San Diego State Prediction & March Madness Odds: Will Aztecs Make Enough Shots?
The No. 5 San Diego State Aztecs are the clear favorites against the No. 12 UAB Blazers on Friday in the opening round of East Region play in the NCAA Tournament, as we offer our UAB vs. San Diego State prediction based on the best March Madness odds.
San Diego State reached the finals of the 2023 NCAA Tournament as a No.5 seed and finds itself in familiar territory heading into the 2024 chapter of March Madness. Our best sports betting sites have SDSU set as favorites against the UAB Blazers, with things set to get underway at 1:45 p.m. ET on TNT.
Based on advanced metrics, SDSU is one of the 11 teams that will win the NCAA Tournament, but the Aztecs struggle with their offense, ranking as one of the weakest in the field. UAB and its defensive strategy could disrupt their offensive flow in the opening round.
As part of our March Madness predictions, here is our best UAB vs. San Diego State prediction and college basketball picks (odds via our best March Madness betting sites; pick confidence based on a 1-to-5-star scale).
UAB vs. San Diego State odds
UAB (12) vs. San Diego State (5) prediction: East Region
San Diego State Under 73.5 points ⭐⭐⭐
Best odds: -114 via FanDuel
This is a tricky game to handicap, as the line has moved in favor of UAB even with KenPom calling for a 9-point win for San Diego State. I just simply don't trust the Aztecs' offense in a critical spot on Friday.
To be clear, UAB is not a good defensive team, ranking outside of the top 200 in adjusted efficiency. The Blazers don't force turnovers and allow far too many open shots along the perimeter. That can serve as a double-edged sword, though, if opponents are baited into shooting threes without the requisite shooters to capitalize.
Fittingly, San Diego State is one of the worst shooting teams in the country, ranking 307th nationally in 3-point percentage (31.3%) with the second-worst mark of any tournament team. The Aztecs are built to score inside, but they could run into issues against NBA hopeful Yaxel Lendeborg (6-foot-9, 230 pounds), who ranks in the top 30 nationally in blocks per game (2.1) and top 15 in defensive rebound rate (27.7%).
With San Diego State featuring one of the slowest tempos in the country, this team total feels a tick too high - especially if the Aztecs run cold from deep.
Check out our FanDuel March Madness promo, offering a 50% boost for 3+ leg NCAA Tournament parlay.
Not intended for use in MA
Affiliate Disclosure: Sportsbook Review may receive advertising commissions for visits to a sportsbook
New customers only. Deposit min. $5. Place first bet of $5+ and win $150 in Bonus Bets (within 72 hours).
UAB vs. San Diego State best odds
FanDuel (-114)
| DraftKings | FanDuel | BetMGM | Caesars | bet365 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Under 72.5 | Under 73.5 | Under 73.5 | Under 73.5 | Under 73.5 |
| -110 | -114 | -125 | -115 | -125 |
All five of our best sports betting sites are offering a team total for San Diego State, and four of them are dealing that total as high as 73.5. But only one is offering that wager at -114 or better, which is why we'd recommend betting it at FanDuel.
With such a small gap between that price and the one at Caesars, for example, I'd highly recommend checking out our March Madness betting promos to get the most of our wager for this game and any other contest during the NCAA Tournament.
UAB vs. San Diego State spread & Over/Under analysis
This game has seen among the most dramatic line movement of any first-round contest, with San Diego State briefly opening as a 10.5-point favorite before settling between -7 and -7.5 across our best sportsbooks.
The total has also been on the move, touching as low as 133.5 before moving all the way up to 139.5 at BetMGM as of Tuesday evening. That number could keep rising in a game projected to reach 143 combined points, per KenPom.
UAB vs. San Diego State game info
- When: Friday, March 22
- Tip-off: 1:45 p.m. ET
- Where: Spokane Veterans Memorial Arena, Spokane, Wash.
- How to watch: TNT
UAB-San Diego State prediction made Tuesday at 7:15 p.m. ET.
North Carolina sportsbook offers
Editor's note: With North Carolina sports betting now live, check out our best North Carolina sports betting apps and the best North Carolina sportsbook promos! 21+ and present in NC. Take advantage of these pre-launch offers!
FanDuel (bet $5 get $250) | Caesars (bet $10, get $250) | bet365 (bet $5, get $200) | DraftKings (bet $5, get $250) | BetMGM (bet $5, get $150)
(21+ only. Underage persons are not allowed to wager. Gambling Problem? Call 877-718-5543 or text “morethanagamenc” to 53342.)
March Madness betting odds pages
Here are our best March Madness betting sites:
- Caesars Promo Code: SBRBONUSDYW | Read our Caesars Review
- BetMGM Bonus Code: SBRBONUS | Read our BetMGM Review
- bet365 Bonus Code: SBRBONUS | Read our bet365 Review
- BetRivers Promo Code: SBRBONUS | Read our BetRivers Review
- FanDuel Promo Code | Read our FanDuel Review
- DraftKings Promo Code | Read our DraftKings Review
(21+. Gambling Problem? Call 1-800-GAMBLER)
* Bonuses not applicable in Ontario.
Related pages
- Best Live Betting Sites | Best Sportsbook Promos (U.S. only)
