Two American Athletic Conference teams coming off losses to suddenly hot Wichita State meet when FAU visits Memphis on Sunday.
Wichita State owns the AAC’s longest current win streak at five games.
First-place Memphis (21-5, 11-2) has been idle since last Sunday’s 84-79 overtime loss at Wichita State. On Thursday, FAU (15-11, 8-5) lost at home to Wichita State, 75-68.
The Tigers lead UAB and North Texas by one game in the standings. Both UAB and North Texas also have games on Sunday.
In the loss to the Shockers, Memphis senior guard Tyrese Hunter led the Tigers with 24 points and six rebounds, while sophomore guard PJ Haggerty had 14 points, eight rebounds, six assists, and two steals. Haggerty entered the weekend as the AAC’s second-leading scorer, averaging 21.2 points per game.
In FAU’s loss to Wichita State, four players scored in double figures, led by 6-foot-7 sophomore Kaleb Glenn, who had 16 points.
Glenn leads a balanced scoring attack, averaging 12.9 points. FAU has eight players averaging between seven and 13 points.
FAU at Memphis Odds
Memphis is an 8.5-point college basketball betting odds favorite on BetMGM with the Over/Under at 158.5.
The moneyline for Memphis is -400 while it is +310 for Florida Atlantic.
FAU at Memphis on TV
The game between FAU and Memphis will be televised on ESPN2.
Tipoff is expected shortly after 2 p.m. ET.
FAU at Memphis Prediction
I like Memphis laying the points.
This is the second time these teams have met, and this is expected to be much closer than Memphis’ 90-62 win at Florida Atlantic on Jan. 2.
In that game, Memphis shot 10 for 18 from three-point range (.556) while FAU shot 5 for 31 (.161). Hunter led the way for Memphis with 20 points, while Haggerty scored 19. Glenn scored a team-high 12 points for FAU.
Memphis leads the AAC and is third nationally in three-point shooting percentage (.400), while FAU is fourth in the AAC and 97th nationally (.354).
Both teams are almost even in free throw shooting, with FAU at .710 and Memphis at .705. FAU has a better turnover ratio (1.45) compared to 1.03 for Memphis.
FAU is 5-5 on the road, while Memphis is 10-2 at home. Since the New Year, Memphis is 7-0 at home.
This should be a fast-paced game. The team that does better in transition will have an advantage. Memphis is 40th nationally in adjusted tempo, according to Kenpom.com. Adjusted tempo measures possessions per 40 minutes. The Tigers have an adjusted tempo of 70.6. FAU has an adjusted tempo of 69.6, which is 65th nationally.
Memphis averages 13.31 fast break points, which entering the weekend was tied for 46th nationally. FAU averages 12.65, which is 62nd.
This should lead to a high-scoring game. FAU is second in the AAC in scoring (80.8 PPG), while Memphis is fourth (79.4).
