Memphis vs. Florida Atlantic: 2023 NCAA Tournament Best Bets & Picks
March Madness is officially here! The 2023 NCAA Tournament Bracket has been announced, and the teams are lining up for the Big Dance. Let’s take a look at the early odds, preview, and predictions for the 2023 NCAA Tournament Round 1 game: Memphis vs. Florida Atlantic.
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2023 March Madness Odds, Preview & Predictions: Memphis vs. Florida Atlantic
Memphis vs. Florida Atlantic Odds, Spread & Match Up Overview
- Memphis Spread: -2.5
- Florida Atlantic Spread: +2.5
- Memphis Moneyline: -150
- Florida Atlantic Moneyline: +125
- Game Over/Under: 150.5
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Memphis 2023 NCAA Tournament Betting Preview
The Tigers put together a reputable season and find themselves back in March Madness for the second straight year under Penny Hardaway. The loss of Keonte Kennedy to a broken hand is a tough blow for this team, and Kendric Davis has been banged up. At full go, Memphis can compete with the best of them, losing to Houston at the last second to round out the regular season.
The Tigers’ fast-paced style leads to high-scoring contests. They rank inside the top 50 in both offense and defense, so they aren’t likely to beat themselves in the tournament. Five of the eight regular-season losses for Memphis were by three or fewer points, making them one of the unluckiest teams in the nation. The Tigers are one of the more physical teams in the country, and while they have a high foul rate, they have a deep bench.
Memphis is a tough team to prepare for and will be a scary opponent for any team to face, but the Tigers’ weak strength of schedule means they may not be prepared to face an elite opponent.
Florida Atlantic 2023 NCAA Tournament Betting Preview
Conference USA was getting a lot of love entering this season, with UAB and North Texas drawing buzz as tournament-caliber teams with a lot of talent. Florida Atlantic came out of the woodwork in CUSA, however, with Dusty May leading this team to a three-loss regular season and now a tournament bid.
Florida Atlantic is a deep, fast-paced team, ranking in the top 20 nationally in bench minutes. Johnell Davis shoots above 40 percent from deep, and with multiple other sharpshooters contributing, Florida Atlantic ranks in the top 20 in three-point shooting. The Owls went undefeated at home, and their top-50 defense stepped up with an elite interior performance and some top-tier rebounding. Florida Atlantic avoids foul trouble and has the potential to run teams out of the gym with Its shooting.
It must be said that the Owls are one of the luckiest teams in the nation, winning seven games that were decided by four or fewer points or in overtime. While this does speak to their late-game abilities, it is cause for concern, as the Owls were a few shots here and there from not even being a tournament team. I do like their sets, with one of the highest rim-and-three rates in the nation, but I don’t know how Florida Atlantic will respond when facing a big, athletic power-conference team, especially if its opponent defends the perimeter well.
Memphis vs. Florida Atlantic 2023 NCAA Tournament Predictions
It seems that every year there is an 8-seed team that is peaking at the right time. This year, Memphis hopes to be that team. Penny Hardaway has this team playing their best ball of the season, led by senior guard Kendric Davis. Unlike some of Penny’s previous Memphis outfits, this is a solid shooting team who doesn’t turn the ball over quite as much. They’re a high motor athletic defense with a high block rate, high steal rate and low opponent effective field goal percentage.
FAU is one of the most intriguing teams in the tournament. They finished tied with a nation-leading 31 wins in route to a regular season a tournament championship in C-USA. Their metrics say they’re a good team. They shoot the ball well and hold opponents to a low field goal percentage. However, their non-conference SOS was ranked 248th according to KenPom, with a 136th ranked SOS overall. The only matchups with power conference teams included a loss to Ole Miss and a one-possession win over Florida back in November.
The Owls are a very potent squad but they haven’t played any team with the talent of Memphis. They can keep this game close but the Memphis should be able to pull out this win in the 8-9 matchup.
Memphis vs. Florida Atlantic 2023 NCAA Tournament Picks
Memphis -2.5
More Round 1 & First Four Betting Picks & Predictions
South
- #16 Texas A&M-CC vs. #16 Southeast Missouri St. (First Four)
- #8 Maryland vs. #9 West Virginia
- #5 San Diego St. vs. #12 Charleston
- #4 Virginia vs. #13 Furman
- #6 Creighton vs. #11 NC State
- #3 Baylor vs. #14 UC Santa Barbara
- #7 Missouri vs. #10 Utah State
- #2 Arizona vs. #15 Princeton
East
- #8 Memphis vs. #9 Florida Atlantic
- #5 Duke vs. #12 Oral Roberts
- #4 Tennessee vs. #13 Louisiana
- #6 Kentucky vs. #11 Providence
- #3 Kansas State vs. #14 Montana State
- #7 Michigan State vs. #10 USC
- #2 Marquette vs. #15 Vermont
West
- #1 Kansas vs. #16 Howard
- #8 Arkansas vs. #9 Illinois
- #5 Saint Mary’s vs. #12 VCU
- #4 UConn vs. #13 Iona
- #11 Arizona State vs. #11 Nevada (First Four)
- #3 Gonzaga vs. #14 Grand Canyon
- #7 Northwestern vs. #10 Boise State
- #2 UCLA vs. #15 UNC Asheville
Midwest
- #1 Houston vs. #16 Northern Kentucky
- #8 Iowa vs. #9 Auburn
- #5 Miami vs. #12 Drake
- #4 Indiana vs. #13 Kent State
- #11 Mississippi State vs. #11 Pitt (First Four)
- #3 Xavier vs. #14 Kennesaw State
- #7 Texas A&M vs. #10 Penn State
- #2 Texas vs. #15 Colgate
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