Find odds for the Stetson vs. UConn college basketball game below, along with our NCAA Tournament prediction.
Stetson Hatters vs UConn Huskies Odds
| Stetson Hatters Odds | ||
|---|---|---|
| Spread | Total | Moneyline |
+27.5 -110 | 145.5 -110o / -110u | +1650 |
| UConn Huskies Odds | ||
|---|---|---|
| Spread | Total | Moneyline |
-27.5 -110 | 145.5 -110o / -110u | -6600 |
We've only seen two 16-seeds win a game in NCAA Tournament history — the UMBC Retrievers five years ago and the Fairleigh Dickinson Knights last year.
Will the Stetson Hatters accomplish a similar feat — or at least compete — against No. 1 UConn? Let's dive in.
Stetson Hatters
Stetson scored 94 points but also allowed 91 to Austin Peay in the ASUN title game.
That's been the story of Stetson's season — elite offense and terrible defense. The Hatters rank a ghastly 342nd in defensive efficiency as opponents shoot 52% from 2-point range and 34% from 3-point range.
Coach Donnie Jones wants his team to shoot from 3, with star guards Jalen Blackmon and Stephan Swenson leading the charge.
Blackmon scored 43 points in the conference championship game and averaged 21 points on 43-91-38 scoring splits this season. He's a mid-major guard who could feasibly drop 30 in any given game.
Swenson is equally capable of popping off for a big scoring night and drilled three huge, late 3s, including the game-winner, in the conference title game. He's averaging 13 points, four rebounds and five assists per game.
Stetson will also have some size to compete against UConn's Donovan Clingan. Stetson plays two solid bigs in Aubin Gateretse and 7-footer Treyton Thompson. Gateretse boasts the top true shooting percentage in college basketball (71.9%).
Connecticut Huskies
You probably won't find the third 16-seed to beat a 1-seed here.
UConn is the most dominant team in college basketball — as evidenced by both the eye test and the top rank in KenPom. The Huskies don't have a glaring weakness as they rank first in offensive efficiency and 12th in defensive efficiency.
All of UConn's starters average double-digit points. Standout guards Cam Spencer and Tristen Newton lead the way and while Newton got snubbed for Big East Player of the Year, he's a national title-winning point guard who averaged 15.2 points, seven rebounds and six assists this season.
Spencer is possibly the best shooter in the sport as he shoots 44% from 3 and 91% from the foul line.
The gravity created by Spencer and Alex Karaban opens up the rest of the floor for UConn's offense. Karaban is shooting 39% from 3 and has diversified his scoring skill set with post-ups and numerous other moves.
The one name I have yet to really mention is Clingan, who makes scoring a real chore for opposing teams. The long-armed NBA prospect swats away 2.3 shots per game and dominates the interior. Clingan's presence will likely scare Stetson's guards away from driving, so it'll live or die by the 3.
Stetson vs UConn
Betting Pick & Prediction
Both teams play at deliberate tempos, but UConn's efficient offense allows it to score more than teams that push the pace.
I could easily see the Huskies cracking the 85-point mark against Stetson's dreadful defense. If the Huskies score 85 points, Stetson will need to get into the mid-60s for the over to hit. For this over to hit, both teams must shoot well from 3.
Thankfully, Stetson and UConn both rank top-100 in 3-point percentage.
