The 2024 NCAA Tournament is underway, and the second full day of action is going to begin with a terrific matchup. It will be the Northwestern Wildcats taking on the FAU Owls in a huge 8-9 game in the East Region.
Northwestern finished in fourth place in the Big Ten Conference this season, but this team really struggled down the stretch. The Wildcats are still sitting at 21-11 overall on the season, but they have also lost three of their last four games.
FAU got all the way to the Final Four a season ago, and they are going to be looking for a similar run. The Owls did finish the regular season with a 25-8 record, but they were not as dominant as many thought they would be.
The betting odds for this game have the FAU Owls at -2.5, and the over/under line is set at 141.5 total points.
Wildcats Win With Defense
Most college basketball teams are trying to outscore their opponents to win games, but Northwestern wants to get some stops. The Wildcats have allowed 66 or less points in four of their last five games, and that will be a big key in this game.
Northwestern isn’t exactly known as a great defensive team, but they play at a pace that makes it easier for them to keep the final score down. That’s even more important now that the Wildcats are playing without Ty Berry and his 12 points per game.
Boo Buie is scoring 19.2 points per game for Northwestern, and he is going to have to be a star if the Wildcats are going to pick up a win in this game.
FAU Can Score Points
The FAU Owls are a team that is loaded with offensive weapons, and this team is pouring in over 82 points per game. FAU wants to play at an extremely fast pace, and that is how they got to the Final Four a season ago.
Johnell Davis is having another big season for the Owls as he is averaging 18.2 points per game this season. If FAU is able to make shots then they are a nightmare to deal with on that end of the floor.
The Owls have struggled to get stops at times this season, and that is something that could create some issues moving forward in this event. FAU can defend Northwestern, but they might struggle against some better teams.
Owls Fly to Second Round
It’s been a solid few seasons for the Northwestern Wildcats, but they are dealing with a bad injury in this game. Playing without Berry is going to make things extremely difficult for them, and it will keep them from advancing.
FAU has virtually the same team that made it to the Final Four a season ago, and that experience is going to help them out in this one. The Owls are going to have to get stops at some point, but that offense is hard to ignore.
Bet on the FAU Owls at -2.5 as they are going to pick up another big win to get to the Second Round of the NCAA Tournament.
