Northwestern vs. FAU Picks, Odds, Starting Lineups For the 2024 March Madness Round of 64
The Northwestern Wildcats will battle the FAU Owls in the first game of Friday's Round of 64. Can Vladislav Goldin and the Owls recreate the magic from a year ago against Boo Buie and the Wildcats? Let's take a look at the latest odds and starting lineups for Northwestern vs. FAU in the Round of 64.
Peter Alexis - March 22, 2024, 10:30 AM EDT
7 minNorthwestern vs. FAU Picks, Odds, Starting Lineups For the 2024 March Madness Round of 64
The 2024 March Madness has had an exciting opening day, and will get the action restarted on Friday afternoon with a battle between the Northwestern Wildcats and the FAU Owls.
The FAU Owls are back in March Madness for the second straight year, and Dusty May's squad is out to prove last year wasn't a fluke. They ran all the way to the Final Four before succumbing to a buzzer beater defeat at the hands of San Diego State, and are hoping to avenge that defeat with another run.
The Northwestern Wildcats are also returning to the tournament after taking down Boise State in their first game last year. They fought a strong battle against UCLA in the second round, but ultimately went down by a few baskets. Can Big Ten first-teamer Boo Buie carry the Wildcats to an upset of the re-established Owls?
Let's take a look at the latest odds for Northwestern vs. FAU, and examine their starting lineups for the Round of 64 battle at the Barclays Center.
Northwestern vs. FAU State Start Time, Where to Watch, and Odds
- Date: Thursday, March 21, 2024
- Start Time: 12:15 pm ET
- Where to Watch: CBS
Click here for Northwestern vs. FAU odds
Northwestern vs. FAU Odds and Betting Data
TEAM | SPREAD | MONEYLINE | IMPLIED CHANCE |
|---|---|---|---|
Northwestern Wildcats | +4 (-110) | +165 | 37.7% |
FAU Owls | -4 (-110 | -195 | 66.1% |
This line opened at -1.5 for Northwestern before rapidly flipping to FAU in the first few hours. It has continued to steam all week, reaching -3.5 on Day 1 of the Madness, and now all the way past -4 in some spots.
Bettors are backing the Owls to rekindle their magic from a year ago and find success in the Round of 64. These two squads are separated by four points now, and the Owls certainly have the line momentum in a game that was originally considered a pick'em.
FAU is now the solid favorite in this Round of 64 matchup, sitting with -195 odds on the moneyline to get a win and advance. This implies a 66% shot to win and advance to the Round of 32, and they'll have to lean on Johnell Davis and Vladislav Goldin to get it done.
On the other side, Northwestern is sitting further behind with +165 odds. They hold a 37% chance to upset the Owls, and despite the movement, they still have a strong shot in this game. Boo Buie is one of the best players in the country, and he'll have to put the Wildcats on his back in this one.
Northwestern vs. FAU Prediction
The FAU Owls are back in the exact spot they found themselves last year, and are wondering if they can make another miracle run. Normally I'd be against this sort of philosophy, but they have the same team together again.
Johnell Davis, Vladislav Goldin, and Alijah Martin are back together again, and they've been synched up well. This team took down a stellar Illinois team earlier this season, proving they are no fluke. They are set up well on the offensive end, and can run the court with anyone. They hold a significant rebounding advantage against the Wildcats, and they'll need Goldin to feast on the glass in this first round battle.
They may have some questionable losses on the schedule, including a late collapse to Temple in the AAC Tournament, but everyone knows the capability of this team. There's a reason why this line steamed from Northwestern -1.5 all the way to where it stands now at FAU -4.5 in some spots. I was lucky enough to snag this earlier in the week at -2, and there is some significant closing line value in this matchup. But they still have to go out on the court and get the win. Despite the move, FAU is not a significantly public pick, and we are going to ride with the steam. The Owls will lean on last season's tournament experience to get past a Northwestern team who's never won more than one March Madness game.
Northwestern vs. FAU Prediction: FAU -2 (-110) (Bet $110 to collect $210) Click here to see which sportsbook has the best odds
Northwestern vs. FAU Projected Lineups
Northwestern projected lineup:
- F: Luke Wagner
- F: Nick Martinelli
- G: Brooks Barnhizer
- G: Ryan Langborg
- G: Boo Buie
FAU projected lineup:
- C: Vladislav Goldin
- G: Brandon Weatherspoon
- G: Alijah Martin
- G: Johnell Davis
- G: Jalen Gaffney
Northwestern March Madness Odds
The Northwestern Wildcats have longshot odds back at +25000 to win March Madness. They may find a way to escape this first round game, but have never gotten past the first win in any of their previous two appearances. They go up against a juggernaut in UConn next game, and that won't end well for anyone involved.
FAU March Madness Odds
The FAU Owls have shown significant poise and know how hard it is to advance in this tournament. They ran all the way to the Final Four last year before falling at the buzzer to San Diego State, and are hoping to avenge that defeat this year. However as mentioned, the winner of this goes against the reigning National Champion, a spot no team wants to be in. They may have used up all of their Cinderella magic last year and are unlikely to advance past the second round, holding +12500 odds to win it all, still significantly above Northwestern.
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