Florida Atlantic vs. Memphis picks, predictions: Who wins NCAA Tournament first-round game?

Jeremy Cluff, Arizona Republic
·3 min read
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No. 9 seed Florida Atlantic and No. 8 seed Memphis face off on Friday in an NCAA Tournament first-round game.

The game is scheduled for 6:20 p.m. MST and can be seen on TNT.

Who will win the game?

Check out these picks and predictions for the contest.

Memphis is a 2.5-point favorite in the game, according to Tipico Sportsbook.

FanDuel: Memphis 80, Florida Atlantic 75

Larry Rupp writes: "Memphis just took down a Houston team that is slated as a No. 1 seed in the NCAA Tournament and has also beaten Texas A&M, Auburn, and VCU. That's four wins against teams in the tournament field. The Tigers are led by senior Kendric Davis, who is averaging 22.1 points per game (No. 9 in NCAA). Memphis has won 18 of its last 20 games against a Conference USA team, so back the Tigers."

Sportsbook Wire: Memphis 74, Florida Atlantic 73

It writes: "Memphis has put together a 16-16-2 ATS record so far this year. Florida Atlantic has compiled a 21-11-0 ATS record so far this season."

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Dimers: Memphis 75,. Florida Atlantic 75

It writes: "Dimers.com's predicted final score for Florida Atlantic vs. Memphis at Nationwide Arena this Friday has Memphis winning 77-75."

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Will Florida Atlantic beat Memphis in the first round of the NCAA Tournament?
Will Florida Atlantic beat Memphis in the first round of the NCAA Tournament?

Sports Chat Place: Take Florida Atlantic with the points vs. Memphis

Randy Chambers writes: "The Memphis Tigers are getting the benefit of the doubt here just because, but this line should tell you that FAU is nothing to be played with. While the schedule hasn’t been difficult, FAU does just about everything right, has a combination of athleticism and size and is as well coached as any team in the land. We’ve backed FAU a lot this season, and I don’t see a reason to stop now. FAU could win this game and give Purdue all it could handle in the next round. Don’t sleep on the Owls."

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Sporting News: Go with Memphis against Florida Atlantic

Gilbert McGregor writes: "With respect to experience, Williams and guard Alex Lomax both took the floor for Memphis in last year's tournament. As this is FAU's first tournament appearance since 2002, transfer guard Jalen Gaffney is the only player on the roster with NCAA Tournament experience from his time at UConn."

Reach Jeremy Cluff at jeremy.cluff@arizonarepublic.com. Follow him on Twitter @Jeremy_Cluff.

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This article originally appeared on Arizona Republic: Florida Atlantic vs. Memphis picks, predictions for NCAA Tournament