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The Northwestern Wildcats (21-11) and FAU Owls (25-8) meet Friday for an NCAA Tournament 1st-round game. Tip-off from the Barclays Center in Brooklyn is scheduled for 12:15 p.m. ET (CBS). Below, we analyze BetMGM Sportsbook’s lines around the Northwestern vs. FAU odds, and make our expert college basketball picks, predictions and best bets.
Northwestern lost 70-61 to No. 24 Wisconsin in its 1st game of the Big Ten Tournament, and the Wildcats are just 1-3 straight up (SU) in the past 4 games. On a positive note, 9th-seeded Northwestern is 10-4 against the spread (ATS) across the past 14 games since Jan. 24. The Under has cashed in 4 of the past 6 outings.
FAU is still smarting after falling 74-73 to Temple in the AAC Tournament semifinals as a 14-point favorite. It didn’t cost the Owls a spot in the NCAA Tournament, but it likely hurt its seeding. However, FAU is an 8-seed, which is its highest-ever seed in 3 all-time trips to the tournament. The Owls advanced to the Final Four last season as a 9-seed.
This is just the 2nd-ever meeting between these teams on the college hardwood. Northwestern won 69-59 in Evanston, Ill., on Nov. 21, 2005.
– Rankings courtesy of the USA TODAY Sports Coaches Poll.
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Northwestern vs. FAU odds
Provided by BetMGM Sportsbook’s; access USA TODAY Sports Scores and Sports Betting Odds hub for a full list. Lines last updated Thursday at 7:02 p.m. ET.
- Moneyline (ML): Northwestern +135 (bet $100 to win $135) | FAU -165 (bet $165 to win $100)
- Against the spread: Northwestern +3.5 (-115) | FAU -3.5 (-105)
- Over/Under (O/U): 142.5 (O: -110 | U: -110)
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Northwestern vs. FAU picks and predictions
Prediction
FAU 74, Northwestern 71
Moneyline
FAU (-165) is worth a play on the moneyline, if you want action on the game, but don’t want to fiddle around with the points.
Northwestern (+135) has dropped 3 of the past 4 games, although the past 2 are against teams in the NCAA Tournament field, including Michigan State, which has already advanced to the 2nd round.
Against the spread
NORTHWESTERN +3.5 (-115) is worth playing in what could be a tight 8 vs. 9 game in Brooklyn to open Friday’s play.
FAU -3.5 (-105) opened as a 1.5-point favorite at most shops, and the money has come in on the Owls quite frequently, as a trip to the Final Four last season really caught the attention of the public.
The Owls will be without Tre Carroll, a key reserve, due to an elbow injury. However, the Wildcats are also dealing with an injury, as C Matthew Nicholson is out indefinitely due to a leg ailment.
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Over/Under
OVER 142.5 (-110) is the lean, but go with a half-unit play at most.
The Wildcats averaged just 74.1 PPG this season, which was rather middle of the road, as far as the rest of the country is concerned. And Northwestern allows 69.0 PPG, which is pretty good defensively, although it allowed the opposition to hit 35.5% from behind the 3-point line, and that’s a concern.
The Owls cashed the Over in both games of the AAC Tournament, and the total has gone high in 4 straight outings. FAU averaged 83.0 PPG in the regular season, and it hits triples at a 36.2% rate.
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