The No. 16 Memphis Tigers (2-0) and Saint Louis Billikens (3-0) meet Tuesday at FedExForum in Memphis, Tennessee. Tip-off is scheduled for 8 p.m. ET. Below, we look at the home at away odds and lines, and make our expert college basketball picks, predictions and bets.
In a battle of two undefeated teams, Memphis will enter as favorites behind head coach and former NBA star Penny Hardaway. He’s recruited top-tier talent, making Memphis one of the nation’s best teams.
It’s a young side though; the Tigers brought in two of the top-six recruits in the nation, PF Jalen Duren and SF Emoni Bates.
Facing a St. Louis team starting just two freshmen, Memphis should have its hands full, especially given the Billikens early-season success. They’ve won each of their first three games by 35 or more points.
Rankings courtesy of the Ferris Mowers Coaches Poll powered by USA TODAY Sports.
Saint Louis at Memphis odds, spread and lines
Odds provided by Tipico Sportsbook; access USA TODAY Sports Scores and Odds for a full list. Lines last updated Tuesday at 10:50 a.m. ET.
- Money line: Saint Louis +470 (bet $100 to win $470) | Memphis -700 (bet $700 to win $100)
- Against the spread (ATS): Saint Louis +10.5 (-107) | Memphis -10.5 (-115)
- Over/Under (O/U): 143.5 (O: -110 | U: -110)
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Saint Louis at Memphis odds, lines, picks and predictions
Prediction
Memphis 70, Saint Louis 64
Money line
PASS on the money line with a slight “lean” to Saint Louis +470.
I think the Billikens are better than many think, and with a young Tigers team capable of making mistakes, an upset is certainly possible. However, I’d likely stay away from it and head towards the points for a better value.
Against the spread
BET on SAINT LOUIS +10.5 (-107) as the Billikens should be able to keep this game close.
They’ve been impressive so far this season and should contend for the Atlantic 10 title. It’s hard to side against a team like Memphis with two top-tier recruits.
However, sophomore Gibson Jimerson is averaging 18.7 points per game. A redshirt junior, Jimerson is the leader of this team, and hitting 43 percent from deep, he may be able to single-handedly keep them inside of double figures.
Saint Louis’s top-four scorers are all 6-foot-5 or taller, so they’ll have the size to compete. With Memphis coming off a disappointing eight-win season last year, I think they struggle against their most challenging opponent yet.
Over/Under
“LEAN” to the UNDER 143.5 (-110) as both sides may be troubled by the length of the other.
The top-six scorers for Memphis all stand 6-foot-5 or taller with Duren and Bates both at least 6-foot-9. Their size should give Saint Louis some difficulties.
Also, neither has faced a quality opponent, so finally having looks contended and getting ran off the three-point line could force more difficult shots and more misses.
The Tigers’ opponents rank 14th in field goal percentage. Expect a solid showing defensively from them. Saint Louis’ opponents rank 21st in field goal percentage, making under 33% of their shots.
This should be a relatively low-scoring game.
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