The dust has settled, the chaos has calmed down and the 2023 Men’s NCAA Tournament is down to its last two teams. The Connecticut Huskies and San Diego State Aztecs are the only remaining challengers after their thrilling semifinal victories on Saturday. A winner will be crowned on Monday night at NRG Stadium in Houston, Texas.
The Huskies open up as 7-point favorites over the Aztecs, according to Caesars Sportsbook. UConn is -320 to win the contest outright with SDSU getting plus juice at +250. The over/under is set at 131 total points.
How did we get here?
The Aztecs (-2.5) trailed almost the entire game against Florida Atlantic … until it mattered most. SDSU nailed the tournament’s first buzzer en route to a 72-71 victory over the Owls. Meanwhile, the Huskies (-5.5) jumped out to an early lead on Miami and they never looked back. UConn rolled to a comfortable 72-59 win to secure its place in Monday’s championship game.
A 4-seed vs. a 5-seed is perhaps the most fitting way to conclude a 2023 tournament that was filled with chaos.
Fans will now find out what happens when an unstoppable force meets an immovable object. It’s a battle of strength versus strength for a national title. The Aztecs have the No. 4 adjusted defense in the country, according to KenPom. The Huskies have the No. 3 adjusted offense in the nation using the same metric.
Oddsmakers obviously favor the incredible scoring ability that UConn possesses and the incredible run Dan Hurley’s team is on in this tournament. The Huskies have won by an average of 20.6 points per game during this tournament, which explains why Las Vegas viewed them as the overwhelming favorite from the Final Four onward.