It’s a rematch of the 2023 national championship game in the 2024 NCAA Tournament’s Sweet 16 on Thursday when No. 5 seed San Diego State faces No. 1 seed and defending champion UConn from Boston with the Huskies as sizable favorites to reach another Elite Eight.

In last year’s national title game on April 3 in Houston, fourth-seeded UConn beat No. 5 San Diego State 76-59. Adama Sanogo had 17 points and 10 rebounds and Tristen Newton also had a double-double with 19 points and 10 boards for the Huskies, who became the fifth team since the bracket expanded in 1985 to win all six NCAA Tournament games by double-digits on the way to a championship. UConn built a 16-point lead late in the first half, only to see the Aztecs trim the lead to five with 5:19 left. But Jordan Hawkins answered with a 3 to trigger a 9-0 run and clinch it. Sanogo and Hawkins are gone now for UConn. Keshad Johnson had 14 points for San Diego State, and he’s now with Arizona.

San Diego State Aztecs vs. UConn Huskies 2024 March Madness Sweet 16 Game Information

Thursday night. Boston. Let’s run it back.#MadeForMarch | #MixForSix pic.twitter.com/CVvnEt57Te

— UConn Men's Basketball (@UConnMBB) March 25, 2024

• When: Thursday, March 28th, 2024 at 7:39 pm ET
• Where: TD Garden, Boston, MA
• TV: TBS, truTV
• Radio: WCCP 105.5 FM The Roar (San Diego State) // 1290 AM KCUB (UConn)
• Live Stream: March Madness Live
• NCAAB Betting Odds: San Diego State (+7) // UConn (-7)

Why Bet on the San Diego State Aztecs?

No. 5 San Diego State (26-10) edged No. 12 UAB by four in Round 1 and then clobbered No. 13 Yale 85-57 in the second round Sunday. What came as a surprise was the Aztecs’ success from three-point range. They entered the night shooting just 31 percent for the season from beyond the arc but were 13-of-27 (48.1 percent). While it seemed the Aztecs couldn’t miss, the Bulldogs had an off night from the field, shooting just 20-of-54 from the field.

Jaedon LeDee had 26 points and nine rebounds and Darrion Trammell added 18 points for SDSU, which scored the first 10 points of the game and led by 24 at halftime. LeDee was again the star for the Aztecs after he scored 32 points in the first-round win over UAB. He made 9 of 12 shots, including a pair of 3s, and in two tournament games is 20-for-30 shooting. San Diego State’s 85 points were its most in NCAA Tournament history, surpassing an 83-point performance in a loss to Indiana on March 16, 2006.

The Aztecs will be playing in the Sweet 16 in consecutive years for the first time in school history. They are one of seven teams who have advanced to each of the last two Sweet 16s (also Alabama, Creighton, Gonzaga, Houston, Tennessee and UConn).

San Diego State boasts of a stout defense that has crippled the attacks of its first two opponents in the tournament. The Aztecs held the UAB in the first round to just 37.7% shooting from the field and Yale just 37%. Until it ran into San Diego State, Yale had not been held under 60 points since a win over Harvard — in 2022-23. The Bulldogs had just registered 113 points per 100 possessions in their first-round win over Auburn.

SDSU improved to 13-15 all-time in NCAA Tournament games (7-1 over the last two seasons). Coach Brian Dutcher knows how big of a challenge UConn is, but he and his team are not intimidated by the Huskies. SDSU is 59-3 under Dutcher all-time when scoring at least 80 points in a game.

“We’ll, it’s the UConn Invitational so we’re going to Boston. See if we can disrupt the party a little bit,” Dutcher said following the win over the Bulldogs. “I’ve got a group that I think is up to the task.”

Why Bet on the UConn Huskies?

UConn routed No. 16 Stetson by 39 points in Round 1 and then took out No. 9 Northwestern 75-58 in Round 2 on Sunday. UConn finished 1-for-11 from the 3-point line in the second half against the Wildcats and still won by 17 points. That should scare the rest of the country.

Tristen Newton had 20 points and 10 assists, and Donovan Clingan finished with 14 points, 14 rebounds and eight blocks. Clingan set a new career-high with eight blocks and has recorded multiple blocks in 22 games this season. The eight blocks for Clingan are the most for a Husky in an NCAA Tournament game, topping a mark of seven set by Emeka Okafor in the First Round of the 2003 Tournament. Clingan became the third player in NCAA Tournament history to record at least 14 points, 14 rebounds and eight blocks – joining David Robinson (Navy) in 1986 and Hakeem Olajuwon (Houston) in 1983.

Connecticut led wire-to-wire and became the first defending national champion to reach the regional semifinals since Duke in 2016. The Huskies (33-3) built a 30-point cushion with 13:27 left and matched a program record for wins set by the 2013-14 national title squad.

UConn has advanced to the Sweet 16 in back-to-back seasons for the first time since going to three-straight from 2002-04. The Huskies have also now set a program-record with eight-straight NCAA Tournament wins. UConn is now 67-32 all-time in the NCAA Tournament and in its 19th Sweet 16. Dan Hurley has been named a finalist for National Coach of the Year, which no UConn coach has ever won.

San Diego State vs. UConn Betting Trends

• San Diego State is 2-6 ATS in the last 8 games.
• Aztecs are 4-1 SU in its last 5 games.
• The total went over in 4 of San Diego State’s last 6 games.
• UConn is 8-1 ATS in the last 9 games.
• Huskies are 9-0 SU in its last 9 games.
• The total went under in 6 of Connecticut’s last 7 games.

San Diego State vs. UConn 2024 Sweet 16 Expert Prediction

San Diego State takes the win on Thursday night and heads into the Elite Eight.

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This is just one of the many sports betting guides that you can read here at Nitrobetting news. Stay tuned for more 2024 March Madness Tournament previews and articles, and don’t forget to check out the latest college basketball odds on our online Crypto sportsbook.

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