The Florida Atlantic Owls will try to win the 2023 Conference USA Tournament title on Saturday when they take the UAB Blazers in the final in Frisco, Texas. The top-seeded Owls (30-3) are in the final for the first time after beating Middle Tennessee State on Friday. Florida Atlantic looked to be cruising in their semifinal but had to hold on late for a 68-65 victory. The No. 3-seeded Blazers (25-8) also dominated early against North Texas, but the Mean Green nearly erased the lead before UAB closed out a 76-69 victory. The Owls led by 16 in Friday’s game, while the Blazers opened the game on a 22-2 run. UAB and FAU met twice in the regular season, with each team winning at home.
Tipoff at Ford Center at The Star is set for 8:30 p.m. ET. Caesars Sportsbook lists the Blazers as 2-point favorites in its latest Florida Atlantic vs. UAB odds, and the over/under for total points scored is set at 147.5. Before making any UAB vs. Florida Atlantic picks, you need to check out the college basketball predictions and betting advice from the SportsLine Projection Model.
The SportsLine Projection Model simulates every Division I college basketball game 10,000 times. The model enters conference tournament week 76-51 on all-top rated college basketball picks this season, returning nearly $1,200 for $100 players. Anybody who has followed it has seen huge returns.
Now, the model has set its sights on UAB vs. FAU and just locked in its picks and CBB predictions. You can visit SportsLine now to see the model’s picks. Here are the college basketball lines and trends for FAU vs. UAB:
- FAU vs. UAB spread: Blazers -2
- FAU vs. UAB over/under: 147.5 points
- FAU vs. UAB money line: Owls +118, Blazers -140
- FAU: The Owls have won six straight games, by an average of 21 points.
- UAB: The Blazers have won eight in a row, by an average of 14.6 points.
- FAU vs. UAB picks: See picks at SportsLine
Featured Game | Florida Atlantic Owls vs. UAB Blazers
Why Florida Atlantic can cover
FAU is 20-10-1 against the spread this season, and the Owls showed their grit Friday after nearly blowing a 16-point lead in the semifinal. Johnell Davis scored 18 points and Alijah Martin scored 17 and had a team-high six rebounds. The Owls shot 45.7% from the field and had five steals while holding MTSU to 22.7% shooting from 3-point range. Florida Atlantic is second in C-USA in scoring at 79 points per game and is third in defense, allowing 65 per contest. The Owls have won nine of their past 10 games, with the only loss to the MTSU team they just beat.
The Owls are 17-10-1 ATS after a victory and 12-9-1 ATS in C-USA games. They lead the conference in shooting (47.2%) and are third from 3-point range (37.2). Opponents shoot 40.6%, second-lowest in C-USA, and 32.7% from long range (third-lowest). Davis averages 13.2 points and shoots 39.4% from beyond the arc. Martin averages 12.4, one of five players scoring more than nine. Davis, Martin and Vladislav Goldin all average more than five rebounds. Davis scored a career-best 36 points, 18 in each half, in an 88-86 home victory back in January.
Why the UAB can cover
Jordan “Jelly” Walker scored 32 points and dominated in the early going Friday as UAB took control. He leads the conference in scoring and is third in the nation, with his 23.3 average per game three points better than any other C-USA player. Trey Jemison leads the conference in rebounding at 8.3 per game and had seven Friday. K.J. Buffen averages 10.7 points and 6.7 rebounds, and Walker and Buffen both had six boards in the semifinal as UAB had a 42-36 edge. The Blazers are 14-16-2 ATS this season, going 9-11-1 ATS in conference matchups.
The Blazers have won eight straight and 12 of 13, and they just avenged the loss by beating North Texas. They lead C-USA in scoring, averaging 82.4 points, and their 12-point average margin of victory ranks second. Eric Gaines, who averages 11.9 points, scored 21 in an 86-77 home victory against the Owls last month. Walker scored 13 and had six assists as he returned from injury. He is the team’s top 3-point shooter, leading C-USA and ranking third in the nation with 4.5 made 3’s per game. He makes 40% of his tries from outside, second-best in C-USA.
How to make UAB vs. Florida Atlantic picks
The model is leaning Over the total, predicting a combined 148 points, and it also has generated an against-the-spread pick that cashes in well over 60% of simulations. You can get the model’s pick only at SportsLine.
So who wins FAU vs. UAB? And which side of the spread hits in well over 60% of simulations? Visit SportsLine now to see which side of the spread to jump on, all from the advanced model that has crushed its top-ranked college basketball picks, and find out.
