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One of the hottest teams in all of college basketball will take the floor tonight as the #19-ranked Florida Atlantic Owls take on the UAB Blazers. It is time to check out our college basketball odds series where our FAU-UAB prediction and pick will be revealed.
In the midst of a near-flawless stretch of play that has resulted in a whopping 20-game winning streak, it is hard to argue against the fact that this Owls squad is truly the real deal. Whether it's playing unselfish basketball by dishing out assists to open teammates or standing firm on the defensive end of the floor, FAU knows how to get under the skin of their opponents and deliver the final blow with superb all-around play. Do the Owls have what it takes to make it 21 in a row on the road?
On the other side of things, the Blazers of UAB have transformed themselves into a respectable Conference USA team with a 15-7 record that includes a 6-5 mark in conference play. The Blazers last saw action on Saturday when they were able to come away with a critical road victory over Rice by a score of 70-52. Now returning home, can the Blazers make it two in a row against a formidable foe?
Here are the FAU-UAB college basketball odds, courtesy of FanDuel.
College Basketball Odds: FAU-UAB Odds
FAU: +1.5 (+100)
UAB: -1.5 (-122)
Over: 146.5 (-115)
Under: 146.5 (-105)
How To Watch FAU vs. UAB
TV: CBS Sports Network
Stream: CBS Sports App
Time: 7:00 ET/4:00 PT
*Watch college basketball LIVE with fuboTV (click for a free trial)*
Why FAU Could Cover The Spread
The last time these two conference rivals when toe-to-toe happened to take place all the way back on Jan. 5th when the Owls were able to sneak past the Blazers for an 88-86 home victory. In that hectic battle, it was Florida Atlantic that took advantage of UAB's lack of rebounding height as the Owls shot rather poorly and needed to fight for every ball off the glass. With that being said, this will prove to be a similar path to success for FAU if they want to find a way to cover the spread as the Owls must take advantage of every second-chance opportunity they get.
At first glance, the Owls possess a top-40 defense overall as they have only surrendered 63.5 points per game put to this point. In fact, FAU has kept teams in check by allowing less than 70 points scored in six-straight games and appears to be finding their groove when to comes to suffocating the opposition with stellar defense. Clearly, the key to covering the spread will be up to FAU's defense coming away with turnovers and translating them to points on the other end of the floor.
Even more so, the biggest X-Factor for this Owls squad will be the play of sophomore guard Johnell Davis, who has been the team's leading scorer in three of the past four contests. Overall, Davis' ball-handling skills combined with a steady scoring touch could end up being the difference in this one.
Why UAB Could Cover The Spread
If there is any team that could be playing spoiler on Thursday night's high-flying action of college basketball, then look no further than the UAB Blazers and their raucous home crowd to get the job done.
Currently on a mini-two-game winning streak that has showcased UAB's ability to score the basketball in a big way, let us not forget that the Blazers are a squad that also thrives in the rebounding category which has ultimately been a main factor in contributing to points scored. Believe it or not, but the Blazers actually have a top-ten rebounding team in all of the nation and are led by big man Trey Jemison who averages nearly nine rebounds per game.
Not only does UAB excel at corralling the basketball off of missed shots, but the Blazers are also extremely lethal in how they score offensively. The one thing that makes this team stand out is all of the different ways they are able to find success with the ball in their possession, as the Blazers have proven that they can shoot well, pass well, and even limit the mistakes that often cause back-breaking turnovers. Because of this, UAB was able to get great production from forward K.J Buffen, who was just named Conference USA Player of the Week after averaging 15.5 PPG and 11 rebounds over the course of his last two games. If the Blazers can get him going in a rhythm from the opening tip-off, then UAB may be sitting in good shape after all.
Final FAU-UAB Prediction & Pick
This rematch from about a month ago has all of the makings to be an extremely close battle, as both teams have shown their willingness to do whatever it takes to get a hard-earned victory. With the nation's longest winning streak on the line, it will end up being FAU that does the little things right to come away with a spread-covering victory in a hostile environment.
Final FAU-UAB Prediction & Pick: FAU +1.5 (+100)
