The San Diego State Aztecs made it all the way to the national championship game last season. That may have been something not expected by most BetOnline customers, but now that they have done it, they know how to get there.

For the Yale Bulldogs, this is all uncharted ground. They are probably fortunate to be in the Big Dance in the first place, as they won on a miracle comeback against Brown in the final seconds to win the Ivy League';s automatic invite. Then they found themselves in a rough position against Auburn, a very good SEC squad, and climbed back to beat them.

So I guess if they were beginners in a casino, they would say they're playing with the house's money.

That doesn't mean they don't want to get further. And they can get one more step - and into the Sweet Sixteen - if they can pull another upset, this time over last year's national runner-up.

This game, in the East region, will tip off at 9:40 PM ET at the Spokane Veterans Memorial Arena in Spokane, WA.

Yes, the East region is being played in Spokane. Welcome to March Madness.

San Diego State had a heck of a time with a pesky UAB team, finally pulling out a 69-65 victory. Jaedon LeDee led the way, just like he's been leading the way all season long. He scored 32 points, adding eight rebounds.

Yale was down ten points to Auburn with seven and a half minutes remaining, and then they caught fire, outscoring the deep Tigers 20-8 the rest of the way. A lot of teams consider themselves to be "resilient." Kansas' Hunter Dickinson said that about the Jayhawks after they had almost blown a 22-point lead against Samford. That was a pathetic joke. But this Yale team is resilient and then some. They literally never think they are out of a game, and that kind of mentality will serve them well here.

In the March Madness betting odds that have been established on this game by the people over at BetOnline, SDSU is the favorite:

San Diego State Aztecs -5.5 (-113)
Yale Bulldogs +5.5 (-107)

Over 131.5 points (-112)
Under 131.5 points (-108)

Do you want to get greatly enhanced payouts on pre-selected parlays, every day of the week? Well, check out Odds Boosters, which can be found on the left-hand side of the sportsbook interface!

The Ivy League has been on a roll - well, sort of. Last season Princeton scored a major upset by beating Arizona. And now Yale. Some of the Ivy Leaguers can play ball, and they can shock an opponent if they are not ready. Of course, SDSU is not likely to be caught by surprise.

The Aztecs also have the best player on the floor,and there is very little doubt about that. LeDee, a 6-9 senior forward, is part of a "new breed" of college players who travel to find the best fit. he's played at Ohio State and TCU before this. KenPom, the widely respected reference site for college basketball, has him #5 in its Player of the Year rankings.

LeDee had 81 points in the Mountain West tournament, and he's registered eleven double-doubles. It is extremely hard to keep him off the free throw line; over the last seven games he's played, he's had 75 chances from the charity stripe. So one of the big challenges for Yale is to defend him without fouling.

Yes, that's going to be difficult. But the Bulldogs can still do some things to keep themselves in this game. For example, they'll get some outside shooting out of John Poulakidas, a 6-6 junior who nailed six treys among his 28 points against Auburn and has hit 40% for the season. There will be some defensive disruption from Bez Mbeng, who for the second straight season was named the Ivy League’s Defensive Player of the Year. And Yale may not be compromised in the middle, because Danny Wolf, who averaged less than three points last season, has emerged as someone to be reckoned with (14.5 ppg, 9.7 rpg).

These guys will be punching to the end, and it gives us some confidence to take the points. And if Yale pulls out a win, maybe they can play UConn, another Connecticut team - all the way out in Spokane.

That's March Madness for 'ya.

Join BetOnline by using your credit card or any of sixteen different cryptocurrency options..... And get in on all the extras they have for you..... Explore the angles with Prop Builder; wager with live betting once the game tips off. And get the best payouts on pre-selected parlays with Odds Boosters!