Furman vs. San Diego State prediction, odds, time: 2023 NCAA Tournament picks, March Madness bets by top model

Amway Center hosts an exceptionally appealing second round matchup in the 2023 NCAA Tournament bracket on Saturday. The No. 5 seed San Diego State Aztecs meet the No. 13 seed Furman Paladins in a South Region tilt with a Sweet 16 berth on the line. San Diego State defeated No. 12 seed Charleston on Thursday, improving to 28-6 overall and 11-1 in the last 12 games. Furman upset No. 4 seed Virginia in memorable fashion, and the Paladins are 28-7 overall this season.

Tipoff is at 12:10 p.m. ET in Orlando. Caesars Sportsbook lists the Aztecs as 5.5-point favorites, while the over/under is 139 in the latest Furman vs. San Diego State odds. Before locking in any San Diego State picks vs. Furman, you need to see the college basketball predictions and betting advice from SportsLine’s advanced computer simulation model.

The SportsLine Projection Model simulates every Division I college basketball game 10,000 times. The model enters the 2023 NCAA Tournament 79-53 on all-top rated college basketball picks this season, returning nearly $1,300 for $100 players. Anybody who has followed it has seen huge returns.

Now, the model has set its sights on Furman vs. San Diego State and just locked in its picks and March Madness predictions. You can head to SportsLine now to see the model’s picks. Now, here are several college basketball betting lines and trends for Furman vs. San Diego State:

• Furman vs. San Diego State spread: SDSU -5.5
• Furman vs. San Diego State over/under: 139 points 
• Furman vs. San Diego State money line: SDSU -240, Furman +196
• FUR: The Paladins are 6-4 against the spread in the last 10 games 
• SDSU: The Aztecs are 7-3 against the spread in the last 10 games 
• Furman vs. San Diego State picks: See picks at SportsLine

Why Furman can cover

Furman brings an incredibly efficient offense to the table. The Paladins are led by a pair of seniors in Mike Bothwell and Jalen Slawson, with Bothwell leading the team in scoring this season. He is averaging 20.2 points per game in the last five contests, and Bothwell is making more than 50% of his shot attempts in 2022-23. Slawson is averaging more than 15 points and seven rebounds per contest, and he led the way in the upset over Virginia with 17 points, 10 rebounds and four assists. 

Furman is in the top 10 of the country in scoring offense, averaging well over 80 points per game, and assists with 17 assists per contest. The Paladins do a lot of damage inside the arc, making more than 58% of attempts to land in the top five nationally, and Furman also takes care of the ball. The Paladins commit a turnover on fewer than 16% of offensive possessions, including a live-ball turnover on only 8% of trips. Furman led the Southern Conference in offensive efficiency, shooting efficiency, offensive rebound rate, and assist rate this season. 

Why San Diego State can cover

San Diego State is led by its defense, but senior guard Matt Bradley was key in the opening round win over Charleston. Bradley finished with 17 points, seven rebounds, and four assists, and he keys an offense that ranked in the top three of the Mountain West this season. San Diego State has an athleticism advantage against Furman, and the Aztecs secure more than 30% of available rebounds on the offensive glass this season. 

On defense, the Aztecs held Charleston to 32% shooting and 21% from 3-point range with only nine assists allowed and nine steals. San Diego State is a top-10 team in the country in adjusted defensive efficiency, with opponents shooting 29% from 3-point range and making fewer than half of 2-point attempts against the Aztecs. San Diego State is also well above-average in turnover creation, defensive rebounding, shot-blocking, and assist prevention in 2022-23.

How to make Furman vs. San Diego State picks

SportsLine’s model is leaning Over on the total, with both teams averaging well over 70 points per game this season. The model also says one side of the spread hits in almost 60% of simulations. You can only see the model’s pick at SportsLine. 

So who wins Furman vs. San Diego State? And which side of the spread hits in almost 60% of simulations? Visit SportsLine now to see which side of the Furman vs. San Diego State spread you need to jump on Saturday, all from the model that has crushed its college basketball picks, and find out.