The 12-seed Charleston Cougars (31-3) face the 5-seed San Diego State Aztecs (27-6) in a first round South Region game in the NCAA Tournament. Tip-off from Amway Center in Orlando is scheduled for approximately 3:10 p.m. ET (truTV). Below, we analyze Tipico Sportsbook’s lines around the Charleston vs. San Diego State odds, and make our expert college basketball picks, predictions and bets.
The Cougars spent time in the Top 25 rankings at points during the regular season, and this team won the Colonial Athletic Association tournament. Charleston has ripped off 10 straight wins since Feb. 2.
A lot of detractors of the Cougars look to a weak strength of schedule (SOS), as Charleston’s best win was against Kent State, its only win over a team in the NCAA Tournament field.
On the flip side, San Diego State picked up a win over an NCAA Tournament team in the Mountain West title game, topping Utah State 62-57. The Aztecs have 5 victories over NCAA Tournament teams, while playing Arkansas tough in an OT loss.