Yale vs. San Diego State Prediction, Odds and Key Players for NCAA Tournament Second Round
By Reed Wallach
Yale pulled one of the most stunning upsets of the NCAA Tournament, beating highly thought of Auburn in come from behind fashion.
The Bulldogs will now look to keep its surprising run in the ‘Big Dance’ with another upset, this time against last year’s National Championship runners up San Diego State, who avoided being on the wrong side of their own upset, getting past UAB in the first round.
Can Yale follow up a stellar performance on Sunday? Or will Jaedon LeDee and the Aztecs continue on?
Here’s the full betting preview for this Round of 32 matchup.
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Yale vs. San Diego State Odds, Spread and Total
San Diego State vs. Yale Betting Trends
- San Diego State is 13-20 against the spread (ATS) this season against Division 1 opponents
- Yale is 6-3-1 ATS in the last 10 games
- Yale has gone UNDER in five of six games as an underdog
Yale vs. San Diego State How to Watch
- Date: Sunday, March 24th
- Game Time: 9:40 PM EST
- Venue: Spokane Veterans Memorial Arena
- How to Watch (TV): TBS
- [Away Team] Record: 21-9
- [Home Team] Record: 24-10
Yale vs. San Diego State Key Players to Watch
Yale
John Poulakidas: The three-point marksman lived up to his billing on Friday in the win against Auburn, scoring 28 points and making six of his nine three-point shots. The junior is a 40-percent three-point shooter, and San Diego State’s defense will live with players shooting from distance, can he get going again?
San Diego State
Jaedon LeDee: LeDee is one of the premier big men in the entire country, carrying the Aztecs through to the second round, scoring 32 points and grabbing eight rebounds. LeDee is a brute down low, and it’s fair to question if Yale has the size, or the legs, to keep up with him after a thrilling comeback.
Yale vs. San Diego State Prediction and Pick
Yale deserves a ton of credit for coming back to beat Auburn, but I do attribute some of that comeback to Auburn’s nerve, who had seven turnovers in the final seven-plus minutes with five missed free throws.
The truth of the matter is that Auburn’s offense was incredibly efficient for much of that game, shooting 60% on two-point shots, which is right where San Diego State wants to operate.
I expect Brian Dutcher, head coach of the Aztecs, will focus on getting LeDee the rock down low. San Diego State is one of the best post offenses in the country, scoring more than a point per possession in the post, while Yale grades out as a post defense.
This should be a nightmare matchup for the underdog Bulldogs, who go from being a double digit underdog against an elite defense to expected to compete against another elite defense in San Diego State, who is 10th in KenPom’s adjusted defensive efficiency mark and 29th in effective field goal percentage allowed.
I’ll fade the underdog’s pursuit of a surprising Sweet 16 bid and take SDSU to take care of business.
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