The Memphis Tigers take on the UAB Blazers. Check out our college basketball odds series for our Memphis UAB prediction and pick. Find how to watch Memphis UAB.

The Memphis Tigers have had an amazing run this season if you consider a few details of their journey. They were 9-1 in their first 10 games decided by six points or fewer before a recent loss at Tulane and another very close loss against South Florida. They finally met a little bit of regression to the mean, but they had been astoundingly good at winning close games. The other very noticeable aspect of their season is that they have had rough injury luck with the season-ending injury to star player Caleb Mills. They're not as good as they were with Mills in the lineup, but they're still good. They made some important pickups in the transfer portal in the offseason which reshaped their roster in a very positive way. Coach Penny Hardaway has struggled with his team in recent weeks. He has spoken about internal issues getting in the way of the team's performance. All things considered, however, Memphis basketball is in a better place than it was a few years ago when the program was not making the NCAA Tournament and was playing at a bubble level. Memphis is a lot better than that standard right now and is solidly in the 2024 NCAA Tournament. The Tigers are playing for seeding instead of sweating out the bubble situation entering the month of February.

Here are the Memphis-UAB College Basketball odds, courtesy of FanDuel.

College Basketball Odds: Memphis-UAB Odds

Memphis Tigers: -4.5 (-110)

UAB Blazers: +4.5 (-110)

Over: 157.5 (-110)

Under: 157.5 (-110)

How To Watch Memphis vs UAB

Time: 5:00 pm ET / 2:00 pm PT

TV: ESPN

Stream: fuboTV (click for a free trial)*

Why Memphis Could Cover the Spread

The Tigers are better than UAB, and they are a better team than they previously were, as noted above in the introduction. Memphis doesn't rely on one player to score. It doesn't have as many limitations as it used to possess. This is how a team could beat opponents with different playing styles. Virginia, Texas A&M, VCU, Clemson, Michigan, and Arkansas have very different playing styles, but all of those prominent college basketball programs are not easy teams to beat. They might not be great teams, but they all pose challenges in their own ways, and Memphis figured each of them out. This is an adaptable team which has shown much more resilience than previous Memphis teams. That will matter going into Birmingham for this game against a UAB squad which struggled in nonconference play and has not shown the level of consistency one would hope for heading into a showdown against Memphis.

Why UAB Could Cover the Spread

The Memphis-UAB rivalry has spanned multiple conferences over multiple decades. These two teams don't like each other, and when UAB gets a chance to host Memphis in Birmingham, it is almost always a battle. UAB might not win outright, but the idea that the game will come down to the final minute relatively close — decided by one or two baskets — is pretty reasonable. UAB will keep the game close enough to cover, even if it doesn't actually win. The Caleb Mills injury matters for Memphis. The Tigers can't gain an extra measure of separation from their opponents as a result of it.

Final Memphis-UAB Prediction & Pick

This figures to be a close, hard-fought game, exactly the kind of game to stay away from.

Final Memphis-UAB Prediction & Pick: Memphis -4.5