Vaughn Dalzell breaks down how he's betting No. 13 Furman versus No. 5 San Diego State in the second round of the NCAA Tournament.
San Diego State (-5.5) vs. Furman: O/U 138.0
We are going to run it back on the total for San Diego State.
San Diego State cashed the Under 141 versus No. 12 seed Charleston, avoiding the upset and now they play No. 13 Furman in hopes of avoiding another upset.
In that game between SDSU and Charleston, Charleston ranks 29th and 31st in overall tempo and offensive tempo. SDSU held Charleston to 57 points on 5-of-24 from three (20.8%), 13-of-32 from two (40.6%) and 10 turnovers.
The Aztecs controlled the pace and I expect that to happen again versus a team that plays extremely slow. Furman plays at the 329th-ranked defensive tempo in the country and 52nd on offense, a little slow than Charleston there.
Furman slipped by Virginia 68-67 on 10-of-28 from three (35.7%) and nine turnovers. Virginia went 2-of-12 from three against Furman (16.7%) and San Diego State struggled from deep versus Charleston going 4-of-16 (25%).
SDSU is ranked 6th in three-point defense (28.9%) and Furman is 97th (32.7%), so I expect both to struggle.
The total for the previous San Diego State game was 141.0 and this total only went down three points against a much slower paced team in Furman that matches up better defensively in terms of tempo and three-point defense.
I like the Under 138 (-110) between these two down to 136.5.
Pick: Under 138 (1u)
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