Syracuse vs San Diego State Odds, Lines, and Spread
- The Mid-West #6 seed San Diego State Aztecs are three-point favorites to oust the #11 Syracuse Orange in their first-round game on Friday, March 19th, at 9:40pm ET
- San Diego State is 23-4 this season, while Syracuse is 16-9
- The Orange rank third all-time in March Madness upset wins with 13
Historically, it could be argued that the Syracuse Orange have got the San Diego State Aztecs right where they want them. The Aztecs are three-point favorites to oust the Orange in their round of 64 game on Friday.
Syracuse, 4-0 against the spread over the past four games, are masters of pulling rabbits out of their hats during March Madness. The Orange have recorded 13 upset wins in the NCAA Tournament, the third-most of any school in the history of the event.
These two schools will clash on the court on Friday, March 19th. Tipoff is scheduled for 9:40pm ET at Hinkle Fieldhouse. CBS is carrying the broadcast
Syracuse vs San Diego State NCAA Tournament Odds
| Team | Moneyline at DraftKings | Spread | Total |
|---|---|---|---|
| Syracuse | +130 | +3 (-108) | O 139.5 (-108) |
| San Diego State | -157 | -3 (-112) | U 139.5 (-112) |
Odds as of March 13th.
Aztecs Are on Fire
San Diego State rolls into March Madness on quite the roll. The Mountain West Conference-champion Aztecs have won 14 games in a row. They haven’t tasted defeat since a 64-59 setback at Utah State on January 16th.
San Diego State will be a tough out for any school. The Aztecs dominate the boards and light up the scoreboard from beyond the arc. They’re also smothering on defense.
For the first time since 2011, the Aztecs have won both the regular season and tournament Mountain West championship.
And we're GOING DANCING. #GoAztecs pic.twitter.com/QL7fwO9HfS
— San Diego State Men's Basketball (@Aztec_MBB) March 14, 2021
The Aztecs are the rated eighth in the nation in adjusted defensive efficiency (90.0). They’re also eighth-best in points allowed per game (60.6), 35th in defensive rebounding percentage (78.3%), and 27th in three-point percentage (37.5%).
Mountain West Player of the Year Matt Mitchell (15.4 points per game, 36.1%), Jordan Schakel (14.3 ppg, 46.7%), and Terrell Gomez (8.8 ppg, 41.7%), San Diego State’s three leading scorers, all are shooting a minimum of 36% from 3-point range.
A Syracuse Surprise
When the Orange were handed the #11 seed in the Midwest Region, there were some who were sounding like that other infamous orange man. They were suggesting that the whole thing was rigged.
Syracuse coach Jim Boeheim frankly admitted that he was worried whether his 16-9 club had done enough to earn an invite to the dance. After a 7-2 non-conference start to the season, the Orange were just 9-7 in ACC play. Syracuse was 13-1 at home and 3-8 on the road.
WE'RE INDY BOUND‼️
#️⃣1️⃣1️⃣ seed in Midwest
🆚 San Diego State
📅 Friday#MarchMadness pic.twitter.com/TzR7P0nRTe— Syracuse Men’s Basketball (@Cuse_MBB) March 14, 2021
However, a late-season charge saw Syracuse go 3-1, including a 72-70 win over North Carolina. Evidently, that was enough to sway the selection committee that the Orange were legit. Besides the Tar Heels, Syracuse owns wins over Georgetown, Virginia Tech, and Clemson, all tournament teams.
Buddy Boeheim, the coach’s son, leads Syracuse in scoring, averaging 17.1 ppg. The junior guard is carrying a hot hand of late. Boeheim averaged 29 ppg in the ACC Tournament and was an All-Tournament First Team selection. He’s averaging over 21 ppg through the past nine games.
In the frontcourt, the Orange count on Quincy Guerrier (14.4 ppg, 8.8 rebounds per game) and Alan Griffin (14.7 ppg, 6.5 rpg).
San Diego State of Mind
Considering the team’s record and numbers this season, if you were to replace the name San Diego State on the front of the jersey with Kentucky, Duke, or North Carolina, the Aztecs are probably a top-three seed. This is a quality team that is only lacking a lengthy basketball pedigree. They’re 53-6 over the past two seasons.
San Diego State’s combination of stifling defense, dominance on the glass, and elite outside shooting will be too much for a lot of teams to handle. The Aztecs figure to be at the very least a Sweet 16 team, perhaps even an Elite Eight squad.
“It is called a trust fall [because] you have to trust your team. I do not know, if I had fallen backwards if we lost the game, they might [have] let me hit the floor, but since we won I thought it was a good opportunity to see if I could trust them or not and I think I can.” pic.twitter.com/vTA4a2LHEz
— San Diego State Men's Basketball (@Aztec_MBB) March 14, 2021
That San Diego State defense will slow the 71st-ranked Syracuse offense (75.8 ppg) and will capitalize against the 197th-ranked Orange defense (70.7 ppg). KenPom ranks Syracuse ranks 89th in adjusted defensive efficiency.
The over is 10-1 in Syracuse’s last 11 neutral-site games, so over 139.5 is worth a long look.
As for the game, don’t be fooled by Syracuse’s history of giant killing in past NCAA Tournaments. The reality is that, come late Friday night, it’s the Orange who will be history.
Pick: San Diego State -3 (-112)
An industry veteran, Bob literally taught the course on the history of sports at Elder College. He has worked as a Sports Columnist for Postmedia, appeared as a guest on several radio stations, was the Vice President of the Society For International Hockey Research in Ontario, and written 25 books.
