The poor San Diego State Aztecs didn't end up getting into the NCAA Tournament this year because the rest of the Mountain West really was awful.
That said, Steve Fisher really had his side ready for the NIT, marching it all the way to New York for the NIT Final Four where the George Washington Colonials are waiting.
NIT Final Four Odds at BookMaker.eu
George Washington Colonials +3.5
San Diego State Aztecs –3.5
Over/Under 129.5
HOW THEY GOT HERE
The route to get to the NIT Final Four wasn't all that tough for SDSU. Georgia Tech did the Aztecs the favor of dismissing South Carolina from the NIT, and as a result, they got to play three home games to reach Madison Square Garden. The Aztecs were clearly favored in all three of their NIT duels, but the margins certainly weren't high enough. All three games were won by double-digits thanks to the combination of a swarming defense and excellent three-point shooting, much of which has been incredibly timely.
G-Dub caught a bit of a break as well along the way. In the opening round game against Hofstra, the Colonials went cold from the field in the final few minutes and let a nine-point lead at the under 4:00 timeout slip away. That said, Alex Mitola hit the game-winning jumper with just four ticks on the clock to send Foggy Bottom into a tizzy.
The Colonials upset Monmouth on the road in the 1/4 matchup in their region, and they ended up getting to host Florida in the quarterfinals due to the fact that the Gators' arena is being remodeled.
The offense, for the most part, has been very good for the Colonials, as they've put up at least 82 points in all three of their NIT games, and all three have coasted past the total.
KEY MATCHUP
From an offensive standpoint, San Diego State is going to have to find some answers for Tyler Cavanaugh and Kevin Larsen on the inside. These two men have dominated here in the NIT, averaging 21.7 and 18.0 points per game respectively, and one of the two has had a double-double in each of the three games.
The Aztecs look like they're strong in the rebounding department at +9.1 per game, but what we're learning here in the NIT is that that was a product of a relatively easy schedule. San Diego State's live bettors will see quickly that Malik Pope and Winston Shepard are likely to be overrun in this game. It's really a matter of whether the rest of the SDSU guards can chip in and hit the glass just a bit in this one. If not, live bettors will notice that there are a lot of empty possessions for the Aztecs and a lot of second chances for GW. That doesn't necessarily mean the Colonials are a lock to pull off the upset, but it's a good indication that could be the case.
KEY STATS & TRENDS
San Diego State has excelled this year in the favored role, especially of late. The team has covered all of its games here in the NIT, and it is now 6-2 ATS in its last eight games overall. This though, is a relatively rare low spread. Live bettors can't like the fact that this is only the 10th time this season that the Aztecs have either been dogs or have been favored by fewer than four points in games. They're 6-3 ATS in those nine though, including covering four of their last five in this similar spot.
George Washington has now pushed six straight games over the total dating back to the end of the regular season. The average GW game has reached 158.3 points per game, a number which far exceeds the total live bettors will be up against in this one throughout unless there is a heck of a run early on in points by both teams.
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Real-time spreads, totals, props and moneyline odds are all available by clicking here, so start betting with BookMaker today! The George Washington Colonials and San Diego State Aztecs will square off Tuesday, March 29, 2016, at 9:30 p.m. ET at Madison Square Garden. This NIT Final Four matchup will be televised live on ESPN.
