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The FAU Owls take on the Wichita State Shockers. Check out our college basketball odds series for our FAU Wichita State prediction and pick. Find how to watch FAU Wichita State.
The Florida Atlantic Owls had won seven games in a row heading into last Thursday's game at UAB in Birmingham. Yet, despite the lengthy winning streak, it's not as though FAU was dominant for most of that stretch. Yes, FAU crushed Tulsa recently, but most of the Owls' games in that seven-game winning binge were relatively close and competitive. Anyone who has followed college basketball this season and has paid some attention to FAU knows that the Owls have started slowly on a consistent basis. They have been a bad first-half team. FAU is taking every opponent's best shot this season, to the point that a lot of FAU games feel like occasions in which the team is just trying to soak up the opponent's pressure, ride out the storm, and then pounce in the final 10 minutes, doing just enough to win without having to expend too much energy over the full 40 minutes. Coach Dusty May probably doesn't like it this way, but he just as probably understands why this is happening. He just wants to get to March Madness with a healthy team, and then you might see FAU turn it up a notch or two.
FAU lost at UAB. The Owls remained inconsistent over the full 40 minutes. They are struggling to produce complete games this season. We will see if a loss shakes them into a higher level of urgency and brings forth a strong start-to-finish performance which we haven't often seen from the Owls this year.
Here are the FAU-Wichita State College Basketball odds, courtesy of FanDuel.
College Basketball Odds: FAU-Wichita State Odds
FAU Owls: -7.5 (-102)
Wichita State Shockers: +7.5 (-120)
Over: 150.5 (-110)
Under: 150.5 (-110)
How To Watch FAU vs Wichita State
Time: 12:00 pm ET / 9:00 am PT
TV: ESPN2
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Stream: fuboTV (click for a free trial)*
Why FAU Could Cover the Spread
The FAU opponent is the best reason to pick FAU. Wichita State is just not that good. The Shockers don't offer a lot at either end of the floor. This team has won only two games since a one-point win over Southern Illinois on December 16. One of those two wins came against UTSA, a team which — like Wichita State — is in the bottom tier of the American Athletic Conference. You should see FAU play a lot better in this game because it is coming off a loss, but Wichita State not being especially good should enable FAU to have a better result and a smoother game.
The other point to keep in mind here is that Wichita State actually did challenge FAU on the Owls' home floor several weeks ago in a game which ended 86-77. Florida Atlantic will not be caught off guard by Wichita State this time. The Owls will know what's coming.
Why Wichita State Could Cover the Spread
The Shockers are not a good team, and no one would claim otherwise, but WSU covered the spread by several points against FAU in the first meeting between these teams this season, and that game was at FAU. This game is in Wichita. It's a morning tipoff at 11 a.m. in Kansas. FAU might want to play better, but the sleepy start time could be a problem for the visitors as they continue a multi-game road trip in the middle of February.
Final FAU-Wichita State Prediction & Pick
The inclination might be to lean to FAU, but the Owls just keep playing like a team which is tricky to bet on against the spread. They do not make it easy. Stay away at the start and wait for a live in-game play.
Final FAU-Wichita State Prediction & Pick: FAU -7.5
