The Memphis Tigers take on the Florida Atlantic Owls in Boca Raton, FL. Tip-off is set for 7 p.m. ET on ESPN2.
Memphis is favored by 3.5 points on the spread with a moneyline of -162. The total is set at 159.5 points.
Here are my Memphis vs. FAU predictions and college basketball picks for January 2, 2025.
Memphis vs FAU Prediction
My Pick: Memphis -2.5 (Play to -4)
My Memphis vs FAU best bet is on the Tigers spread, with the best odds currently available at BetRivers. For all of your college basketball bets, be sure to find the best lines by using our live NCAAB odds page.
Memphis vs FAU Odds, Spread
| Memphis Odds | ||
|---|---|---|
| Spread | Total | Moneyline |
-3.5 -110 | 163.5 -110 / -110 | -170 |
| FAU Odds | ||
|---|---|---|
| Spread | Total | Moneyline |
+3.5 -110 | 163.5 -110 / -110 | +145 |
- Memphis vs FAU spread: Memphis -3.5
- Memphis vs FAU over/under: 159.5 points
- Memphis vs FAU moneyline: Memphis -170, FAU +145
- Memphis vs FAU best bet: Memphis -2.5 (Play to -4)
My Memphis vs FAU NCAAB Betting Preview
This is a bad matchup for the Owls.
First, Florida Atlantic is one of the worst teams in the country when it comes to defending the 3-point shot, allowing opponents to make over 40% of their treys. That could spell disaster against Memphis, which is 11th in the nation in 3-point percentage (40.2%).
The Owls are brutal on defense, in general, and that's bad news when facing the Tigers, who rely heavily on their guard trio of PJ Haggerty, Colby Rogers and Tyrese Hunter. All three can break down opposing defenses, get into the lane and either make plays for themselves or their teammates.
Second, the Owls are efficient scoring inside and get a good majority of their points via offense rebounds. That's likely not going to work against the three-headed interior of Moussa Cisse, Nicholas Jourdain and Dain Dainja.
Finally, the Tigers are battle-tested. A road game isn't going to phase Penny Hardaway's team because it's faced UConn, Michigan State and Auburn on a neutral floor in Maui, Clemson and Virginia on the road and Mississippi State and Ole Miss in back-to-back games.
What may be most important, though, is the fact that Memphis needs to be laser focused more so than other teams in conference play. There aren't a lot of opportunities for quality wins in the AAC (zero current Quad 1 games for the rest of the season), but there are plenty of opportunities for resume-staining losses.
While FAU doesn't qualify (this is a Quad 2 game), the Tigers should be sharp and motivated in their first conference outing of the season.
