The No. 8 FAU Owls take on the No. 9 Northwestern Wildcats in the First Round of the 2024 NCAA Tournament. Tip-off is scheduled for 12:15 p.m. ET on Friday, March 22, and the game will air on CBS. Here is everything you need to know about the matchup and a pick against the spread.
2024 March Madness picks
No. 8 FAU vs. No. 9 Northwestern best bet
FAU (25-8, 14-4 AAC) rode their No. 9 seed all the way to the Final Four last year, and enter at a No. 8 this season after winning the AAC Tournament. The Owls grabbed early non-conference wins over tournament teams Texas A&M and Arizona, and finished the season ranked 16th in adjusted offensive efficiency at KenPom.
Led by Johnell Davis, the Owls averaged 82.5 points per game, ranking 14th in the nation, and shot 56% from the two-point range, ranking 15th in the nation. The Owls were solid on rebounding, as well, grabbing 38.1 boards per game.
Northwestern (21-11, 12-8 B1G) ended their regular season as a No. 4 seed in the Big Ten and fell to Wisconsin in the conference tournament, but were still a strong at-large contender. The Wildcats grabbed a win over Purdue early in the season, setting the tone for their third all-time NCAA Tournament appearance.
The Wildcats were led by Boo Buie, who averaged 19.2 points per game. They are one of the best three-point shooting groups in the nation, going 39.4% from the perimeter, ranking fourth in all of college basketball. They also focused on ball security, and finished the season with the fifth-fewest turnovers per game in the country.
Betting lines
Thursday odds
Spread: FAU -4.5
Total: 142.5
Moneyline: FAU -198, Northwestern +164
Opening odds
Spread: FAU -3
Total: 142
Moneyline: FAU -155, Northwestern +130
All odds are courtesy of DraftKings Sportsbook
Best bet: Northwestern +3
Northwestern’s ability to heat up from the perimeter could catch FAU on their heels. Florida Atlantic’s defense was fairly middle-of-the-road this year, whereas Northwestern is more balanced on both ends of the court. This should be a high-scoring game, and I like the upset here from the Wildcats.