UAB vs Florida Atlantic Basketball Prediction & Picks: Owls, Blazers battle in Boca

It may not be on the radar of many college basketball followers nationally, but one of the top matchups on tonight’s schedule is a Conference USA clash between two of the country’s hottest teams in UAB (12-2, 3-0 C-USA) and Florida Atlantic (12-1, 2-0 C-USA).

Tip-off for the game is scheduled for 7:00 pm ET, and you can catch the action on ESPN+.

It is certainly a matchup worth tuning in to. The Owls have won 11 straight games since losing 80-67 at Ole Miss in their second game of the season, while the Blazers have won five straight and ten of 11 since also losing their second game of the season.

Will the reigning conference champs take care of business tonight in Boca Raton? Keep reading for our UAB vs Florida Atlantic basketball prediction, as well as our picks for tonight’s matchup.

UAB vs Florida Atlantic Odds

Odds are via BetOnline as of Thursday, January 5, 2023, at 8:15 am ET. This article may also include odds from our other recommended legal sports betting sites. 

Spread

• UAB +2.5 (-105)
• Florida Atlantic -2.5 (-115)

Over/Under

• Over 148.5 (-106)
• Under 148.5 (-114)

Moneyline

• UAB +122
• Florida Atlantic -146

Will UAB Score at Will Against Florida Atlantic?

Last Thursday, Florida Atlantic continued its win streak despite being held to a season-low 50 points by North Texas in a four-point road win.

It was a highly impressive win over the Mean Green, who went into the game with a 10-2 record. It certainly wasn’t impressive offensively, as FAU shot just 30.8% (16 of 52) from the field and 13% (3 of 23) from three.

But UNT is one of the best defensive teams in college basketball and being able to leave Denton with a win is no small feat.

Tonight’s game is a different kind of test. UAB is one of the highest-scoring teams in college basketball, and they are led by the nation’s leading scorer.

FAU doesn’t have someone on the level of Jordan “Jelly” Walker, but they do average 78.5 PPG, and they shoot 48.1% from the field and 37.2% from three.

Leading Scorers for Florida Atlantic

• Alijah Martin: 13.5 PPG, 5.1 RPG
• Michael Forrest: 11.8 PPG, 2.9 RPG, 2.5 APG
• Vladislav Goldin: 10.7 PPG, 6.2 RPG

But can they do enough on both ends of the floor to keep up with UAB? The Blazers are sixth in the country in scoring at 86.6 PPG, and they shoot 47.3% from the field and 35.4% from three, both of which are respectable numbers.

Most notably, they rank third in the country in made free throws per game (19.0) and tied for 14th in free-throw attempts per game (25.3).

A big part of all of the above is Walker, who is averaging 25.3 PPG. Against UTEP last Thursday, he was only 7 of 26 from the field, including 2 of 15 from three, but thanks to going 9 of 10 from the free-throw line, he still had 25 points.

Last time out, his shots were falling more as he went for 31 in a 90-67 win over UTSA. He was 7 of 12 from three and 12 of 21 from the field overall, and he didn’t attempt a single free throw.

UAB vs Florida Atlantic Prediction and Picks

UAB vs Florida Atlantic Prediction: UAB to win

UAB vs Florida Atlantic Picks: UAB +2.5 (Best Value: BetOnline) & UAB/Florida Atlantic over 147.5 (Best Value: BetMGM)

The Owls are having a fantastic season under May, who was an assistant at UAB from 2007 to 2009 under Mike Davis, who is the father (and coach) of the nation’s second-leading scorer, Antoine Davis.

Is this an even bigger test for FAU than the trip to North Texas? Facing and beating such a stout defensive team on the road is huge. But so is having to handle the conference’s best player and highest-scoring team.

I see no issue with the Owls being favored here. They have just the one loss, are at home, and are coming off of a road win over one of the conference’s other top contenders.

But I am jumping on the value with the Blazers instead. Look for Walker to have a huge game and for UAB to leave Boca with a big win.