A Florida showdown is taking place today in Boca Raton between the South Florida Bulls and the Florida Atlantic Owls. South Florida is first in the American Conference at 9-3, while FAU is 14-11 overall and 6-6 in the American. In the past, this has been a one-sided matchup with South Florida going 16-4 against FAU.
On DraftKings Sportsbook, South Florida is a -5.5 favorite with the over/under being 165.5 points. Here is my best bet for today’s South Florida vs. Florida Atlantic matchup below.
South Florida vs. Florida Atlantic (2:00 p.m. ET)
On KenPom, there is a wide gap between these two teams, with South Florida ranked 60th overall and Florida Atlantic at No. 115. The Bulls have won six of their previous seven games and are 11-3 in their last 14. South Florida’s last three losses have come by one point twice and three points. The Bulls have five players scoring double-digit points, with Izaiyah Nelson, Wes Enis, and Joseph Pinion all averaging at least 14. Nelson has produced 25 points in two of his last three games.
South Florida leads the American in points per game with 89, eight more than FAU. Meanwhile, on defense, Florida Atlantic allowed three fewer points than South Florida. The Owls enter this game on a five-game losing streak, with their last win coming against Tulane on January 21. A big reason for their recent lack of success has been their struggles on offense. The Owls have only scored 76 or fewer points during their current losing streak. Florida Atlantic’s guard trio consists of its top three scorers: Devin Vanterpool (15.4 PPG), Kanaan Carlyle (14 PPG), and Isaiah Elohim (13 PPG).
South Florida’s last eight wins have come by at least six points. Also, three of FAU’s previous five losses have been by at least six points. FAU has struggled on offense recently, and it is unlikely they will be able to keep up with South Florida.