Memphis vs. FAU Prediction, Pick Against the Spread, and Latest Odds for Round of 64
Memphis vs. FAU Prediction, Pick Against the Spread, and Latest Odds for Round of 64
The first round of the NCAA Tournament is coming to a close, as the matchup between the Memphis Tigers and the Florida Atlantic Owls is one of the last games to tip off in the first round. Tip-off is scheduled for 8:00 PM EST. This 8-9 matchup is destined to produce fireworks, as it features two teams that had excellent seasons and exceeded expectations.
I have my pick for tonight, so let's get into it.
Memphis vs. Florida Atlantic Start Time, Where to Watch, and Odds
- Date: Friday, March 17, 2023
- Start Time: 9:20 pm ET
- Where to Watch: TNT
Click here for Memphis vs. FAU odds
Memphis vs. Florida Atlantic Prediction
Memphis is a team that likes to play at a fast pace, and they rank 18th in the nation in tempo. They thrive when they are playing quickly and scoring out of transition. They like to control the pace and keep the other team from setting up their defense. Memphis has been hot, scoring 81, 94, and 75 points in their three games in the conference tournament. The 75-point game came against Houston, who has the 4th-ranked defense by efficiency. Memphis can score against some of the top defenses in the country, and they most certainly can against the Owls.
One of the reasons Memphis is so effective offensively is because they get a lot of offensive rebounds and they also get to the line a lot. They rank 58th in the nation in free throw attempts per game, but they also give up a lot of free throws, ranking 272nd in the same category on defense. This means that they need to be careful not to foul too much and give Florida Atlantic easy points from the charity stripe.
Florida Atlantic should keep up with Memphis’ scoring on the other end, as they rank 18th in effective field goal % in the country. They shoot the three well at 37.2%, 30th in the nation, and Memphis gives up a lot of three-point attempts. Florida Atlantic shoots a lot of threes, getting 37% of their points from behind the arc, the 26th-highest rate in the nation. The three-ball should be what keeps FAU in the game and gives them a chance to win.
This game is set up to be high-scoring, maybe the highest-scoring game of the day, and it’s not surprising that the total has been set at 151.5 points. Memphis’ style of play and Florida Atlantic’s three-point shooting ability means that this game will be fast-paced and filled with scoring opportunities. Memphis has the ability to score against top defenses, and they should be able to put up points against Florida Atlantic. At the same time, Florida Atlantic should be able to knock down shots from beyond the arc and keep up with Memphis’ scoring. This game should be a back-and-forth battle. It is expected to be a very close game as well, which means we may get points from the line in the final minute as it goes down to the wire. The pick for this game is over 151.5 points.
Memphis vs. Florida Atlantic Pick
- Memphis/FAU Over 151.5 ( -110) (Bet $100 to collect $191) Get the best odds, available at DraftKings
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Article Author
Ben Rajavuori is a handicapper out of Minneapolis, MN. He has been creating sports content for almost four years now and is an expert in all things NFL, MLB, NBA, UFC, and NCAAB. Ben thrives on diving deep into statistics to find the best angle on every bet. You can follow him on Twitter @WeBeatTheSpread.