Florida Atlantic vs. Tennessee Prediction
Number nine seed Florida Atlantic and #4 seed Tennessee head to New York City to face each other at 9:00 PM ET Thursday night on TBS in the third round of the NCAA Tournament.
Can the Volunteers cover the 5.5-point spread as neutral-site favorites?
Florida Atlantic is 33-3 on the year with their best wins coming over Florida and Memphis. Their worst losses came against UAB and Middle Tennessee. The Owls are 22-11-1 against the spread this season.
Tenneesse is 25-10 this season with their best wins coming over Alabama and Kansas. Their worst losses came against Colorado and Vanderbilt. The Volunteers are 18-17 against the spread this year.
Game Matchup and Betting Odds
635 Florida Atlantic Owls (+5.5) vs. 636 Tennessee Volunteers (-5.5); O/U 129.5
9:00 PM ET, Thursday, March 23, 2023
Madison Square Garden, New York, NY
Florida Atlantic vs. Tennessee Public Betting Information
Our CBB Public Betting Information page indicates that the public favors the Owls in this contest. Our public betting data illustrates that 55% of public bets are on Florida Atlantic +5.5. Do note that these numbers are subject to change and could be different once tipoff rolls around, so be sure to check the link so you’re receiving the most up-to-date public betting data.
Florida Atlantic Game Notes
Florida Atlantic’s leading scorer is sophomore guard Johnell Davis. The 6’4” 203-pound Gary, Indiana native is posting 13.9 points and 5.4 rebounds per game while shooting an efficient 50% from the field and 38.8% from deep. He had 29 points in the Owls’ second-round win over Fairleigh Dickinson and may need to have another big day if FAU is going to cover on Thursday.
The Owls’ leading rebounder is 7’1” Russian center Vladislav Goldin. The 240-pound sophomore is pulling down 6.4 rebounds per game while averaging 10.4 points per contest. He’s making an efficient 63.4% of his field goal tries for Florida Atlantic this season.
Tennessee Game Notes
The Volunteers will be missing one of their better guards for this contest. Tennessee sophomore guard Zakai Zeigler tore his ACL on February 28th against Arkansas and he’ll miss the rest of the season. Zeigler was one of the Volunteers’ better perimeter defenders and was third on the team in scoring with 10.4 points per game.
Tennessee will likely look to senior guard Santiago Vescovi for scoring and passing on Thursday. The Uruguayan national leads the club in scoring with 12.7 points per game. He’s also chipped in 4.6 rebounds, 3.1 assists, and 1.8 steals per game for Tennessee this year. His leadership and experience will likely be a factor in this game.
Florida Atlantic vs. Tennessee CBB Betting Trends
Florida Atlantic is 22-10-1 ATS in their last 33 games overall.
Florida Atlantic is 15-7-1 ATS in their last 23 games following an ATS loss.
Tennessee is 2-7 ATS in their last 9 NCAA Tournament games.
Tennessee is 1-4 ATS in their last 5 games following an ATS win.
Florida Atlantic vs. Tennessee CBB Prediction:
This game has all the makings of an upset. Florida Atlantic is 33-3 straight up this season and 22-11-1 against the spread. The Owls rank in the top 20 nationally in both offensive and defensive efficiency and rank seventh in the country with an average scoring margin of +12.4 points per game. What’s more, Florida Atlantic is 10-3-1 ATS in their last 14 games against a team with a winning percentage over .600. There’s also the fact that both of these teams played at Florida this season. FAU won their matchup in Gainesville by 2 while Tennessee lost theirs by 13. When you throw in the fact that Tennessee coach Rick Barnes is only 27-26 all-time in the NCAA Tournament, the case for the Owls becomes overwhelming. I’ll take Florida Atlantic and the points in MSG on Thursday night.
CBB BETTING PREDICTION: FLORIDA ATLANTIC OWLS +5.5
