The 9th-seeded FAU Owls (31-3) meet the 8th-seeded Memphis Tigers (26-8) Friday for a first-round East Region game in the NCAA Tournament. Tip-off from Nationwide Arena in Columbus is scheduled for approximately 9:20 p.m. ET (TNT). Below, we analyze Tipico Sportsbook’s lines around the FAU vs. Memphis odds, and make our expert college basketball picks, predictions and best bets.
The Owls rolled past UAB in the Conference USA championship game Saturday by a 78-56 score, cashing as 2-point underdogs. FAU used defense to lock down the rest of the league, allowing just 57.3 points per game in 3 games in the league tourney.
This is FAU’s first trip to the NCAA Tournament since 2002 when it was a 15-seed. It ended up covering against Alabama in an 8-point loss.
The Tigers caught fire in the AAC Tournament, winning games against UCF, Tulane and Houston. The final 2 games were victories by 10 or more points. Memphis is an impressive 4-1 against the spread (ATS) in the past 5 games overall, and 6-2 ATS across the past 8 contests.