The fourth-seeded Connecticut Huskies seek a spot in the Sweet 16 for the first time in nearly a decade when they take on the No. 5 seed Saint Mary’s Gaels in a second round matchup in the West Region of the 2023 NCAA Tournament on Sunday. UConn’s last Sweet 16 appearance came in 2014, when it went on to win the fourth national championship in program history. The Huskies rolled past Iona 87-63 on Friday, while Saint Mary’s defeated VCU 63-51 in the first round.
Tipoff at MVP Arena in Albany, NY is set for 6:10 p.m. ET. The Huskies are 4-point favorites in the latest UConn vs. Saint Mary’s odds from Caesars Sportsbook, while the over/under for total points scored is 127.5. Before making any Saint Mary’s vs. UConn picks, be sure to check out the college basketball predictions and betting advice from SportsLine’s proven computer 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 Connecticut vs. Saint Mary’s and revealed its coveted picks and predictions for the NCAA Tournament 2023. You can head to SportsLine to see the picks. Here are several college basketball odds and trends for Saint Mary’s vs. Connecticut:
- UConn vs. Saint Mary’s spread: Huskies -4
- UConn vs. Saint Mary’s over/under: 127.5 points
- UConn vs. Saint Mary’s money line: Huskies -190, Gaels +158
- UCONN: The Huskies are 17-6 against the spread in their last 23 NCAA Tournament games
- SMC: The Gaels are 0-5 ATS in their last five contests following an ATS win
- UConn vs. Saint Mary’s picks: See picks at SportsLine
Why UConn can cover
The Huskies trailed by two points at halftime on Friday before opening the second half with a 17-4 run and outscoring Iona 50-24 in the second half. Junior forward Adama Sanogo scored 10 points during UConn’s decisive spurt while sophomore guard Jordan Hawkins produced the other seven on two 3-pointers and a free throw. Sanogo recorded 22 of his season-high 28 points in the second half and finished with 13 rebounds for his seventh double-double of 2022-23.
Hawkins scored all 13 of his points in the final 20 minutes after going 0-for-6 from the field in the first half. Freshman center Donovan Clingan came off the bench to score 12 points and grab nine boards, falling just shy of his fifth double-double. Junior guard Andre Jackson Jr. also came up with a solid performance as he recorded 10 points and dished out a game-high seven assists.
Why Saint Mary’s can cover
The Gaels are looking to reach the Sweet 16 for the third time in school history and first since 2010, when they upset Richmond and Villanova as the No. 10 seed in their region before losing to Baylor. Only five players recorded points in Friday’s victory, but four of them reached double figures. Junior center Mitchell Saxen and senior guard Alex Ducas led the way with 17 points apiece, while sophomore guard Augustas Marciulionis came off the bench to post 13.
Ducas pulled down eight rebounds, dished out four assists and made five steals, while Saxen had seven boards, four assists and four blocks. Senior guard Logan Johnson, who leads Saint Mary’s with an average of 14.6 points, scored 12 and grabbed 10 rebounds for his first career double-double. The Gaels played a strong defensive game against VCU, forcing 14 turnovers while limiting the Rams to 36.7% shooting – including 22.2% in the second half.
How to make Saint Mary’s vs. UConn picks
SportsLine’s model is leaning Over on the total, projecting the teams to combine for 138 points. The model also says one side of the spread hits over 50% of the time. You can only see the model’s pick at SportsLine.
So who wins UConn vs. Saint Mary’s? And which side of the spread hits over 50% of the time? Visit SportsLine now to find out which side of the spread you need to jump on, all from the model that has crushed its college basketball picks, and find out.
