The 2023 college basketball season wraps up tonight with the fourth-seeded Connecticut Huskies (-7.5) doing battle against the fifth-seeded San Diego State Aztecs (9:20 p.m. ET, CBS). Connecticut's on pace to be the largest favorite in the National Championship since the '09 North Carolina Tar Heels, as the current 7.5-point spread is justifiable given how dominant Danny Hurley's crew has been through five games (+103 point differential).
Even though the odds are against them and have been for most of their National Championship run, Brian Dutchers' Aztecs have managed to scratch and claw their way to the game's biggest stage. It hasn't looked aesthetically pleasing at times, but the Aztecs could care less about that, as their goal is to outscore their opponent by at least one point when the final buzzer sounds. They've accomplished that feat in consecutive games, but can they keep it rolling against the red-hot Huskies?
With the current 7.5-point spread already baking in a multi-possession win for Connecticut, some bettors might opt to avoid betting the spread while trying their hand at perfecting a Same Game Parlay to sweeten their chances of cashing on the final college basketball game of the season. We've selected four of our favorite SGP legs for tonight's championship game, hoping to cash in on an 8.5-1 payday to end the college basketball season on a high note.
Connecticut vs. San Diego State: Best bets, Same Game Parlay
Odds courtesy of DraftKings Sportsbook
| Bet/Prop | Odds |
| Connecticut 1st half spread -4.5 | -115 |
| Over 131.5 alternate total points | -120 |
| Alex Karaban 8+ points | -110 |
| Keshad Johnson OVER 4.5 rebounds | -115 |
Total parlay odds (4 legs): +850 | Bet: $100 | Potential net winnings: $850
Connecticut 1st half spread -4.5 (-115)
We'll kick off our SGP with Connecticut's first-half spread, thinking the Huskies start strong against an Aztecs team that's trailed at the half in their past two games. Connecticut's been the most dominant first-half team in college basketball this season, boasting the nation's best first-half average margin of plus-9.9 points per game. The Huskies' efficient play on both ends of the floor gives them a real shot to lead by five-plus points at the break against an Aztec squad that hasn't been nearly as efficient on offense (68th in adj. offensive efficiency) and could struggle to keep up in the first 20 minutes of play.
OVER 131.5 alternate total points (-120)
Tonight's over/under of 131.5 points is a fair projection of how this game could unfold, but we're thinking the Huskies' superior offense has its way against the Aztecs' defense, resulting in this game landing OVER the total. San Diego State's defense did clamp up down the stretch of Saturday night's come-from-behind win over FAU, holding the Owls to only six points over the final seven minutes of play, but some of that was attributed to the Aztecs dominating on the glass by grabbing numerous offensive rebounds to extend their offensive possessions.
We're not expecting San Diego State to grab 12 offensive rebounds against a sound defensive rebounding Connecticut squad, which will lead to more scoring opportunities for UConn. We also think the Huskies will look to push the pace in transition as much as possible, not wanting to run their offense against the Aztecs' set defense, making this a higher possession game than the current total indicates.
MORE NATIONAL CHAMPIONSHIP: Betting Preview | DFS Lineup
Alex Karaban 8+ points (-110)
Karaban simply doesn't get enough respect for the job he's done stepping into a starting role as a redshirt freshman, evident in his odds to score at least eight points priced at -110. Karaban played a team-high 34 minutes in the Huskies' Final Four win over Miami and scored eight points despite shooting below his season average from the field. Karban's shot 48.1 percent from the field but made just 37.5 percent of his shots on Saturday night (three-of-eight shooting). Among qualifying players, he's posted the 42nd-best offensive rating (125.3 ORtg), and given he attempts close to eight shots on Monday night, he's in a solid position to record at least eight points.
Keshad Johnson OVER 4.5 rebounds (-115)
We also think Johnson has a better-than-expected night on the boards in a game in which he'll likely play at least 25 minutes. With fellow frontcourt piece Nathan Mensah tasked with keeping Connecticut big man Adama Sanogo off the glass, it could lead to Johnson being the man corralling the Huskies' missed shots on the defensive end of the court. Johnson's posted a respectable 18.5-percent defensive rebounding rate along with a 7.7-percent offensive rebounding rate, numbers sufficient enough to result in the Aztecs' four-man ending his night with five-plus rebounds.
