UAB vs Florida Atlantic Odds, Picks and Predictions: Blazing a Path to an Over

The UAB Blazers and Florida Atlantic Owls square off Saturday in the Conference USA Championship Game, and an automatic bid to the NCAA Tournament is on the line.

The 3-seed Blazers have won and covered both games in the league tourney so far, including a 76-69 victory over defensive-minded North Texas on Friday.

The 1-seed Owls are searching for their second-ever NCAA Tournament bid. The regular-season champs have now posted a school-record 30 wins and narrowly escaped with a 68-65 win over Middle Tennessee.

Can UAB deny FAU the Conference USA tournament title, or will the Owls add to the trophy case in Boca Raton after winning the regular season title? We’ll discuss in our college basketball picks and predictions for UAB vs. FAU on Saturday, March 11.

UAB vs Florida Atlantic best odds

UAB vs Florida Atlantic picks and predictions

With 30 victories, the Owls are likely to score an at-large bid to the NCAA Tournament, even if they’re unable to score a win on Saturday. Florida Atlantic doesn’t want to leave anything up to chance, however.

The current version of Owls broke all of the records of its previous 2002 Madness squad, as FAU has scored 79.3 PPG to rank No. 26 in the nation. The Owls have rolled up a 37.8% mark from behind the arc, too, ranking No. 22 in the nation.

Defensively, FAU has been hard on the opposition, limiting teams to just 41.1% from the field, while allowing just 65.7 PPG.

UAB is looking to return to the NCAA Tournament after suffering an 82-68 loss against Houston last season in the first round. It hadn’t been since 2015, which is also the last time the Blazers won a game in the Big Dance.

It will have to be all hands on deck for the Florida Atlantic defense, as UAB can fly on offense. The Blazers rank inside the Top 10 in the nation with 82.2 PPG. Defensively, UAB has struggled, though. We should see a fair amount of points, even with the pressure of a championship hanging in the balance. Both teams should be able to get into the 80’s, or close to it.

My best bet: Over 148.5 (-110 at Caesars)

UAB vs Florida Atlantic spread analysis

The Blazers had a near-miss in Boca Raton on Jan. 5, suffering an 88-86 loss at The Burrow. It was a push at most shops as the Over easily cashed.

The teams had a rematch in Birmingham, and UAB scored an 86-77 victory as a 1.5-point favorite to snap Florida Atlantic’s school-record 20-game win streak.

In fact, UAB managed 86 points in both of the meetings against FAU. The Blazers are one of a few teams that have been able to figure out the combination to solve the Owls defense.

UAB is 4-1 ATS in the past five games overall, while going 15-6 ATS in the past 21 neutral-site affairs. The Blazers are also 5-1 ATS in the past six games against teams with a winning overall record, including that victory over FAU in Birmingham.

FAU has picked up covers at a 20-9-1 ATS clip across the past 30 games overall, while going 8-3-1 ATS in the past 12 outings against teams with a winning percentage over .600. However, the Owls are just 3-7 ATS in the previous 10 following a straight-up win.

That’s why the books have this one so close. In fact, the 30-win Owls are slight underdogs. This could very well end up being a one-possession game. FAU has not shown any signs of letting up this season, and it should be able to push past nemesis UAB in a close battle.

UAB vs Florida Atlantic Over/Under analysis

The Over is on fire for both of these teams. The Over is 39-15-1 in the past 55 games for UAB dating back to last season. 

More importantly, the Over is 3-0-1 in the past four games for the Blazers against teams with a winning overall record, while going 8-1 in the past nine games on a neutral court. The Over is 20-7-1 in the past 28 games for UAB following a cover, too.

For Florida Atlantic, the Over is also 3-0-1 in the past four games against teams with a winning overall record, while going 6-2-1 in the past nine games following a non-cover.

Both of these teams can stroke the three at a solid rate, with FAU hitting at a 37.8% clip to rank No. 22 overall. It also allows teams to hit at a 33.3% clip, which is rather middling. UAB has hit triples at a 36.6% mark, while allowing 71.0 PPG. It’s rather surprising that this total isn’t a little higher, at least in the 150s. Take advantage.

UAB vs Florida Atlantic betting trend to know

The Over has cashed in three straight meetings in this series, while going 5-2-1 in the previous eight outings overall. Find more college basketball betting trends for UAB vs. Florida Atlantic.

UAB vs Florida Atlantic game info

UAB vs Florida Atlantic key injuries

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