The UConn Huskies are set to take on the San Diego State Aztecs in the men’s basketball National Championship game. UConn has dominated opponents on its way to a spot in the title game, while San Diego State needed some late-game heroics to get where they are now. The game will take place tonight at NRG Stadium in Houston, Texas, in front of more than 70,000 people.
UConn Putting On Dominant Display, Favored By 7.5
UConn came into the tournament as a 4 seed but quickly established itself as the tournament favorite. Through their first five tourney games, the Huskies have beaten opponents by a combined 103 points. Their closest margin of victory was by 13 over Miami in the Final Four.
Junior Adama Sanogo has been the star of the tournament. He’s averaged over 17 points a game this season and has been particularly efficient during the tournament. Against Miami, he scored 21 points with 10 rebounds. He also went 2-3 from beyond the arch.
Jordan Hawkins has been the biggest perimeter threat for the Huskies. Hawkins attempts close to eight threes a game. In the elite eight win over Gonzaga, he went 6-10 from deep. Expect him to be a volume shooter tonight.
San Diego State’s Incredible Run Continues
Prior to this year’s tournament run, the farthest San Diego State had made it was the Sweet 16. Head coach Brian Dutcher and his group of players have exceeded expectations. Their most impressive victory came in the Sweet 16 against the number one overall seed, Alabama.
They had another impressive win on Saturday. The Aztecs took down Florida Atlantic in a game where they trailed by as many as 14. The game would come right down to the buzzer when Lamont Butler dribbled the ball down the floor and sank a mid-range jumper as time expired to give San Diego State the one-point victory.
San Diego State vs Connecticut National Championship Odds, Courtesy of DraftKings
| Team | Spread | Moneyline | Total |
| San Diego State | +7.5 (-110) | +320 | Over 132.5 (-110) |
| Connecticut | -7.5 (-110) | -390 | Under 132.5 (-110) |
San Diego State’s run has been impressive, but they haven’t been as dominant as Connecticut. For that reason, NY Sportsbooks have them as sizable National Championship underdogs.
These two teams have met only once before. It came in the 2011 Sweet 16 when the Kemba Walker led Huskies defeated a San Diego State team with Kawhi Leonard, 74-67. UConn would go on to win the National Championship that year.
NCAA Tournament Most Outstanding Player Odds, Courtesy of FanDuel
| Player | Odds |
| Adama Sanogo (Connecticut) | -160 |
| Jordan Hawkins (Connecticut) | +360 |
| Matt Bradley (San Diego State) | +500 |
| Lamont Butler (San Diego State) | +1500 |
| Darrion Tramell (San Diego State) | +3000 |
| Jaedon LeDee (San Diego State) | +3000 |
UConn has the two favorites to win the tournament’s most outstanding player award. Adama Sanogo is even in minus money to do so. The award is handed out to a player on the winning team. If you wager on Sanogo, a good game from him will help but you’ll also need Connecticut to come out victorious.
Matt Bradley has the best odds to win this award on the San Diego State side. Bradley got hot early in the game against Florida Atlantic. He had 11 points within the game’s first six minutes. He finished with 21 and has been the team’s leading scorer throughout the season.
The Final Four hero, Lamont Butler, has the next best odds to win the tournament’s Most Outstanding Player award. His odds on FanDuel are listed at +1500. Butler had a good Elite Eight. He finished with 18 points on 8-11 shooting in the win over Creighton. If he has a big game tonight in a San Diego State win, don’t be surprised if he ends up winning this award.
If Your Bet Wins
Ochai Agbaji won the award last year for Kansas after his team overcame a 16-point deficit to beat North Carolina in the National Championship. Who knows, we might have more fireworks in store for tonight.
