AAC Tournament: North Texas vs. FAU odds, picks and predictions
The North Texas Mean Green (18-13) and FAU Owls (24-7) meet in an American Athletic Conference (AAC) Tournament quarterfinal Friday at Dickies Arena in Fort Worth, Texas. Tip-off is scheduled for 7 p.m. ET (ESPNU/ESPN+). Below, we analyze FanDuel Sportsbook's lines around the North Texas vs. FAU odds, and make our expert college basketball picks, predictions and best bets.
The 7th-seeded Mean Green picked up an 81-71 win over Tulane in Thursday's 2nd round, cashing as 5-point favorites as the Over (138) connected. UNT was able to survive and advance despite leading scorer Jason Edwards going just 4-for-17 from the field, including 1-for-7 from behind the arc, to finish with just 12 points.
The 2nd-seeded Owls begin what they hope is another deep postseason run. In just its 2nd NCAA Tournament appearance in program history, FAU went to the Final Four a season ago. That was then, and this is now. The Owls have slowly rounded into championship form in the final 2 weeks of the regular season, winning 3 straight games, including a road game at North Texas March 6.
FAU swept the 2-game regular-season series, but both games were up for grabs until the end. The Owls held off the Mean Green 66-63 in Boca Raton Jan. 28, but UNT easily covered as a 9.5-point underdog. FAU covered the 2-point spread in an 80-76 win in Denton March 6.
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North Texas vs. FAU odds
Provided by FanDuel Sportsbook; access USA TODAY Sports Scores and Sports Betting Odds hub for a full list. Lines last updated at 7:36 a.m. ET.
- Moneyline (ML): North Texas +190 (bet $100 to win $190) | FAU -235 (bet $235 to win $100)
- Against the spread: North Texas +5.5 (-110) | FAU -5.5 (-110)
- Over/Under (O/U): 137.5 (O: -110 | U: -110)
North Texas vs. FAU picks and predictions
Prediction
FAU 69, North Texas 66
Moneyline
FAU (-235) will cost 2.35 times the potential return. That's a bit too much risk for not enough reward. Remember, this game is being played in Fort Worth, so it's likely to be a crowd heavy with North Texas (+190) supporters, playing like a home game for the Mean Green. FAU will have to tap into the experience of last season, as well as some early-season marquee neutral-site games, to get the job done.
PASS.
Against the spread
NORTH TEXAS +5.5 (-110) catching more than 2 buckets is the play.
The Mean Green lost by 3 on the road at FAU earlier in the season, and UNT lost by just 4 points on its home court last week. That's a 3.5-point margin of victory in 2 hotly contested games which came down to the bitter end.
Roll with North Texas catching the points, but know there is risk. FAU is 6-2-1 ATS in the past 9 meetings.
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Over/Under
UNDER 137.5 (-110) is the play, although it is best to play a half-unit at most.
The total has gone low in 7 of the past 10 meetings in this series. The Under is also 3-2 in 5 neutral-site games for North Texas, while the Over has a slight 4-3 edge in 7 neutral-site battles for FAU. The Under is also 3-2 in the past 5 games for the Owls.
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