The FAU Owls (18-4, 8-1 AAC) and UAB Blazers (14-8, 6-3) meet Thursday at Bartow Arena in Birmingham, Ala. Tip-off is scheduled for 9 p.m. ET (ESPN2). Below, we analyze FanDuel Sportsbook’s'lines around the FAU vs. UAB odds, and make our expert college basketball picks, predictions and best bets.
The Owls have rattled off 7 straight wins since a loss at Charlotte on Jan. 6, and that includes an 86-73 win over the Blazers in Boca Raton on Jan. 14. However, UAB cashed as a 15.5-point underdog in that meeting. That’s a common theme for FAU, as it has been winning, but the Owls are just 2-8 against the spread (ATS) in the past 10 games.
The Blazers suffered a 72-69 loss at SMU on Sunday as a 7-point underdog, covering for the 3rd straight game. UAB is 6-1-1 ATS in the past 8 games, while cashing the Over in 3 of the past 4 contests.
These teams split the season series in 2022-23, one of just 3 regular-season losses for the Owls in their miraculous campaign. That loss came in Birmingham on Feb. 2, 2023, as the Blazers won 86-77 as a 1.5-point favorite with the Over (146) coming through. The total has gone high in 4 of the past 5 meetings.