The No. 8 FAU Owls will take on the No. 9 Northwestern Wildcats in the First Round of the 2024 NCAA Tournament. Below we’ll preview both teams, including analysis and key stats while also providing our prediction.
No. 8 FAU
NET: 39
KenPom Overall: 41
KenPom O: 16
KenPom D: 109
Record: 25-8
Strength of Schedule: 93
Conference: American
Conference Record: 14-4
Quad 1 Record: 2-2
FAU returns to the NCAA Tournament after a legendary Cinderella run in 2023 that saw the Owls reach the Final Four as a No. 9 seed. This year, they finished second in their conference in regular season play, but grabbed wins over Arizona and Texas A&M in non-conference play. Their high-powered offense puts up over 80 points per game, with guard Johnell Davis leading the way in scoring.
No. 9 Northwestern
NET: 244
KenPom Overall: 46
KenPom O: 30
KenPom D: 73
Record: 21-11
Strength of Schedule: 49
Conference: Big Ten
Conference Record: 12-8
Quad 1 Record: 4-7
The Wildcats reached the NCAA Tournament for just the third time in school history this season after big wins over Purdue and Illinois. Northwestern’s best performances came from the three-point line this season as they shot 39.6% from outside, led by fifth-year Boo Buie.
FAU/Northwestern Pick
The Owls are the better team on offense, and guard Johnell Davis will be a problem for the Northwestern defense. The Wildcats tend to play at a slower pace, so if the Owls can speed up the game, they should come out on top, as long as they don’t play so fast that they sacrifice their offensive efficiency.
Pick: FAU
2024 March Madness: No. 9 Northwestern vs. No. 8 FAU odds
Odds from DraftKings Sportsbook
Spread: Northwestern -2, FAU +2
Over/Under: 140.5
Moneyline: Northwestern -135, FAU +114