The 3-seed UAB Blazers (25-8) face the 1-seed FAU Owls (30-3) Saturday in the Conference USA Tournament championship game with an automatic bid to the NCAA Tournament on the line. Tip from Ford Center At The Star in Frisco, Texas, is scheduled for 8:30 p.m. ET (CBS Sports Network). Below, we analyze Tipico Sportsbook’s lines around the UAB vs. FAU odds, and make our expert college basketball picks, predictions and bets.
UAB showed Rice the door in the C-USA quarterfinals Thursday by an 87-60 count as a 14.5-point favorite as the Under (155.5) cashed. The Blazers then topped North Texas 76-69 Friday to punch their ticket to the title game as the Over (126.5) connected.
FAU blasted Western Kentucky 75-51 Thursday in the quarters to easily cover a 10.5-point number. However, the Owls had a scare put into them by Middle Tennessee Friday, needing late free throws to escape with a 68-65 victory as 10.5-point favorites. The Under connected in both games.
FAU edged UAB 88-86 in Boca Raton on Jan. 5 as the Over (150.5) easily cashed, while the Blazers dumped the Owls 86-77 in Birmingham on Feb. 2 in another game which saw the Over (146) comfortably connect.
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UAB vs. FAU odds
Provided by Tipico Sportsbook; access USA TODAY Sports Scores and Sports Betting Odds hub for a full list. Lines last updated at 11:20 a.m. ET.
- Moneyline (ML): UAB -135 (bet $135 to win $100) | FAU +115 (bet $100 to win $115)
- Against the spread (ATS): UAB -2.5 (-105) | FAU -2.5 (-115)
- Over/Under (O/U): 148.5 (O: -110 | U: -110)
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UAB vs. FAU picks and predictions
Prediction
UAB 81, FAU 78
Moneyline
UAB (-135) has the offense to deny the top seed the automatic entry into the NCAA Tournament. The Blazers scored 86 points in each of the 2 meetings with the Owls this season, and there is no reason to believe they’ll slow down in the title game.
FAU is looking to make the NCAA Tournament for just the 2nd time in school history, and it should still be OK, even if it falls in this one.
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Against the spread
UAB -2.5 (-105) has been on fire against the number, going 6-2 ATS across the past 8 games, and is an okay play if you like the better value. It also went 1-0-1 ATS in the 2 meetings with FAU this season.
It’s likely to be a game that comes right down to the end, but playing the UAB moneyline is a much better option than risking the points in what should be a tight affair.
Over/Under
OVER 148.5 (-110) is the best play on the board.
UAB has racked up 82.2 points per game to rank 9th in the country and allows 71.0 points per game — tied for 198th in the nation.
FAU averages 79.3 points per game (27th) and it ranks 19th in the country by hitting 37.8% from behind the 3-point line. We should see plenty of offensive fireworks with these potent offenses Saturday.
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