March Madness Round 64 Lines: Florida Atlantic vs Memphis Betting Preview

The Florida Atlantic Owls will attempt to keep their Cinderella season going when they take on the Memphis Tigers in the first round of the NCAA Tournament on Friday. Coach Dusty May and the Owls are 31-3 on the season but will face possibly their toughest test of the season in Memphis. The Tigers enter the contest as a (-1.5) favorite, with a total currently set at 153 points. The game is scheduled for a 9:20 PM EST tip-off from Nationwide Arena in Columbus, OH, and will be televised on TNT.

We will now preview the game plus our betting prediction for this Round of 64 contest. Keep reading for college basketball betting lines, analysis, and a free pick for Florida Atlantic vs Memphis.

2023 March Madness Round of 64 Game
No. 9 Florida Atlantic Owls vs. No. 8 Memphis Tigers Betting Preview

Florida Atlantic of Conference USA meets Memphis of The American in NCAA Tourney First Round
ATS Odds: Indiana -4
Moneyline Odds: Florida Atlantic +150 / Memphis -185
Over/Under Odds: 40.5 -110
When: Friday, March 17 at 9:20 pm ET
Where: Nationwide Arena, Columbus, OH
TV / Streaming: TNT

Why Bet on No. 9 Florida Atlantic Owls against No. 8 Memphis Tigers?

Head Coach Dusty May’s club is led by two dynamic guards in Johnell Davis and Alijah Martin. Both are “do it all” type guards as they score, rebound and hand out assists with regularity. Combined, they average over 26 points and 10 rebounds per contest, and both shoot better than 36% from behind the three-point line. In the paint, Vladislav Goldin leads the way as the seven-foot Russian averages better than 10 points, six rebounds, and a block per game.

The Owls have been one of the best cover teams in the nation this season, with a record of 21-10-1 against the spread. They are not just beating the number; they are crushing it by nearly six points per game with a margin of victory of nearly 14 points per contest. Entering the NCAA tournament, Florida Atlantic has covered in five of their last seven games, including their last game against UAB when they were a neutral site underdog.

Florida Atlantic Owls Offensive Averages

Points/G: 78.2
FG %: 55.0% (#18)
3PT%: 26.1
FT %: 71.8
Rebounds/G: 38.3

Florida Atlantic Owls Defensive Averages

Points/G: 65.3
FG %: 45.9
3PT%: 20.0
FT %: 74.9
Rebounds/G: 33.0

Why Bet on No. 8 Memphis Tigers against No. 9 Florida Atlantic Owls?

The Memphis Tigers very quietly put together one of the better seasons that no one is seemingly talking about. The American Athletic Conference tournament champs ended the season with a 26-8 record and finished second in the league standings behind just Houston, who is the one seed in the Midwest Region. The Tigers actually defeated the Cougars in the conference tournament finals though Houston was without All-American Marcus Sasser.

Memphis is led by a dynamic duo in guard Kendric Davis, a transfer from Southern Methodist, and forward DeAndre Williams. Combined, the two Houston natives are combining to average roughly 40 points per game, with Davis leading the way at over 22 per contest. The other aspect of this team to love is their depth. This Tigers club boasts ten seniors in their rotation and eleven players that average at least double-digit minutes per game.

Memphis Tigers Offensive Averages

Points/G: 79.8
FG %: 53.2
3PT%: 17.3
FT %: 74.7
Rebounds/G: 35.9

Memphis Tigers Defensive Averages

Points/G: 71.9
FG %: 46.8
3PT%: 25.9
FT %: 73.9
Rebounds/G: 35.2

Florida Atlantic vs Memphis Betting Trends

Memphis’ games this season have gone over this contest’s total of 152.5 points 14 times.
Memphis has had an average of 151.7 points in its games this season, 0.8 fewer than this matchup’s total.
The Tigers have gone 17-13-0 ATS this season.
Memphis has won 20, or 90.9%, of the 22 games it has played as the favorite this season.
Memphis has a record of 20-2, a 90.9% win rate, when it’s favored by -135 or more by bookmakers this season.
The moneyline for this contest implies a 57.4% chance of a victory for Memphis.

Florida Atlantic Owls vs Memphis Tigers Betting Odds and Prediction

The knock on Florida Atlantic all season has been their strength of schedule. Had the Owls not won their conference tournament, there was speculation that they would not be invited to the dance. Their seeding on the nine line suggests otherwise, but at this point, it doesn’t matter.

Memphis has a reputation under Penny Hardaway to be a team that defends but doesn’t score. This season they do both very well and have two legit stars to go with a ton of depth and experience. They are a top-20 team in tempo and will likely try to speed up the Owls wear them down. Memphis covers and moves on.

March Madness Round of 64 Pick: Memphis covers | Bet Florida Atlantic vs Memphis Today
MyBookie Betting Lines for the Game