The No. 9 seed Northwestern Wildcats and the No. 8 seed Florida Atlantic Owls play on Friday in the East Region of the 2024 NCAA Tournament bracket. These teams have only matched up one other time in history. In 2005, Northwestern beat FAU 69-59. Florida Atlantic led the American Conference in scoring offense (82.5). On the flip side, Northwestern is allowing 69 points per game.
Tipoff from the Barclays Center in New York is set for 12:15 p.m. ET. The Owls are 4-point favorites in the latest Northwestern vs. Florida Atlantic odds via SportsLine consensus, while the over/under for total points scored is 143.5, up three points from the opening line. Before making any FAU vs. Northwestern picks, be sure to see the college basketball predictions and betting advice from the SportsLine Projection Model.
The model simulates every Div. I college basketball game 10,000 times. It enters the 2024 NCAA tournament on a 148-106 roll on all top-rated college basketball picks dating back to last season, returning more than $1,700 for $100 players. It also has a strong 29-19 (+810) record on top-rated spread picks this season. Anyone following it has seen huge returns.
Now, the model has set its sights on Northwestern vs. FAU. You can visit SportsLine now to see the picks. Here are several college basketball betting lines and trends for FAU vs. Northwestern:
- Northwestern vs. Florida Atlantic spread: FAU -4
- Northwestern vs. Florida Atlantic over/under: 143.5 points
- Northwestern vs. Florida Atlantic money line: FAU -194, Northwestern +160
- NW: Northwestern is 6-2 ATS in its last eight games
- FAU: Florida Atlantic is 7-13 ATS in its last 20 games
- Northwestern vs. Florida Atlantic picks: See picks at SportsLine
Why Northwestern can cover
Junior guard Brooks Barnhizer is an offensive difference-maker. The Indiana native logs 14.6 points, 7.5 rebounds and 2.7 assists per game. In the quarterfinal loss to Wisconsin, he had 13 points and 14 rebounds.
Sophomore forward Nick Martinelli gives the Wildcats a quality role player. Martinelli stands at 6-foot-7 and uses his length as an asset when attacking the basket. He puts up 9.0 points, 4.2 rebounds and shoots 50% from the field. On March 9 against Minnesota, Martinelli had 14 points and five rebounds. See which team to back at SportsLine.
Why FAU can cover
Junior center Vladislav Goldin provides the Owls with a powerful and lengthy presence in the frontcourt. Goldin plays well out of the low post and has long arms to be effective in the lane. The native of Russia averages a team-high 6.8 rebounds with 15.6 points per game. He also shoots 67% from the field. In his last matchup, Goldin had 23 points, five boards and two blocks.
Junior guard Alijah Martin is a strong, athletic scoring threat. Martin scores off the dribble while jumping into passing lanes to create turnovers. The Mississippi native averages 13.3 points, 5.9 rebounds and 1.7 steals per game. On Mar. 15, he notched 15 points and two assists. See which team to back at SportsLine.
How to make FAU vs. Northwestern picks
SportsLine's model is leaning Over on the total, projecting the teams to combine for 151 points. The model also says one side of the spread hits nearly 60% of the time. You can see the picks only at SportsLine.
So who wins Northwestern vs. FAU, and which side of the spread hits nearly 60% of the time? Visit SportsLine now to see which side of the spread you need to jump on, all from the model on a 148-106 roll on its top-rated college basketball picks, and find out.
