The 16th-seeded Fairleigh Dickinson Knights (21-15, 10-6 NEC) will be trying to pull off another upset when they face the ninth-seeded Florida Atlantic Owls (32-3, 18-2 C-USA) in the second round of the NCAA Tournament on Sunday night. The Knights are coming off a 63-58 win over Purdue as 23-point underdogs. The Owls are coming off a 66-65 win over Memphis as 1.5-point underdogs.
Knights Going For Sixth Win In Seven Games
The Knights pulled off the biggest upset of the tournament with a win over Purdue in their last game, making them the second #16 to knock off a #1 seed in tournament history. They will try to keep the momentum going with a win over the Owls, which will give them their sixth win in their last seven games.
Fairleigh Dickinson is averaging 76.1 points per game. They scored 63 points in their last game, making 38.7 percent of their field goals and 30.4 percent of their three-pointers.
Sean Moore led the Knights with 19 points and five rebounds. Demetre Roberts finished with 12 points, four rebounds, and four assists, while Cameron Tweedy added 10 points and six rebounds.
Fairleigh Dickinson has struggled defensively, giving up 75 points per game. They gave up 58 points in their last game and will have to keep it up if they want to get the win.
Owls Going For Ninth Consecutive Win
The Owls managed to squeak by the Tigers in their last game. They will be hoping for a more comfortable win against a dangerous Knights team that just knocked off one of the best teams in the country, which will give them their ninth win in a row.
Florida Atlantic is averaging 77.8 points per game. They scored 66 points in their last game, making 38.5 percent of their field goals and 28.6 percent of their three-pointers.
Giancarlo Rosado led the Owls with 15 points and three rebounds. Johnell Davis finished with 12 points and five rebounds, while Alijah Martin added 10 points and four rebounds.
Florida Atlantic has played well defensively, giving up 65.3 points per game. They gave up 65 points in their last game and will need a similar effort if they want to win this game.
Best Bets for this Game
Full-Game Side Bet
Insiders Status:
The Knights have won five of their last six games. They are playing well offensively, scoring more than 70 points per game in their last three games. They’ve also taken advantage of their opportunities at the charity stripe, making over 75 percent of their free throws during that span. They rebound the ball well and they’re aggressive on the offensive glass, which will give them more scoring chances. They’ve also done a good job protecting the ball and won’t give the Owls a lot of easy-scoring opportunities. Even though the Owls are playing well defensively, they will have a hard time slowing down the Knights in this game. The Owls have won eight straight games. They usually play well offensively, but they struggled in recent games, scoring less than 70 points in two of their last three games. Their ball movement wasn’t very good during that span, but they did a good job rebounding the ball, which will keep them in this game. Even though they do a good job protecting the ball, they are facing a team that loves to force turnovers and is averaging more than seven steals per game, so expect the Knights to get some easy-scoring opportunities against them. The Knights played well defensively in their last three games, holding opponents under 63 points per game, and won’t have trouble keeping Florida Atlantic’s offense in check. Go with the Knights to cover the spread.
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Full-Game Total Pick
Insiders Status:
The Knights are averaging 76.1 points per game and 74.8 points per game on the road. They play at a fast pace, averaging 71.4 possessions per game, and they’re facing a team that is giving up 65.3 points per game, so expect them to be held under their average in this game. The Owls are averaging 77.8 points per game and 75 points per game on the road. They play at a slower pace, averaging 70.3 possessions per game. Even though the Knights are giving up 74.9 points per game on the road, they gave up 62 points per game in their last three games, so don’t expect the Owls to score enough points to push the score over the total.