:format(webp)/cdn.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_image/image/72088177/usa_today_20256778.0.jpg "Fairleigh Dickinson-FAU odds: Spread, favorite for second round matchup in 2023 March Madness")
The NCAA Tournament continues to roll on with the second round underway this weekend. The No. 16 Fairleigh Dickinson Knights face off against the Florida Atlantic Owls on Sunday, March 19. Let's take a look at the opening odds for this East Region head-to-head.
2023 NCAA Tournament, second round: No. 16 Fairleigh Dickinson vs. No. 9 FAU odds from DraftKings Sportsbook
Spread: Florida Atlantic -12
Total: 149.5
Moneyline: FAU -645, FDU +480
Fairleigh Dickinson (21-15, 10-6 NEC) officially etched its name in the history books after upsetting No. 1 seed Purdue 63-58 in the first round. The Knights became just the second 16-seed to send a top-seeded team packing in the opening round after UMBC achieved the feat first back in 2018. The feat was even more incredible given that FDU owns the shortest roster – with an average height of 6-foot-1 – in Division I college basketball, only to overcome the likes of Zach Edey, Purdue's 7-foot-4, All-American center. Fairleigh Dickinson closed as a 23-point underdog, making it the largest upset by point spread since the NCAA tournament expanded to 64 teams in 1985.
Florida Atlantic had perhaps the most dramatic win of the 2023 NCAA Tournament so far, with a last-second layup after a bad held ball call advancing them over the Memphis Tigers 66-65. The Owls are one of the deepest teams remaining in the field, and their No. 22 ranking via KenPom shows they are for real despite coming from a one-bid league in Conference USA.