A trip to the Final Four is on the line as the third-seeded Kansas State Wildcats face the ninth-seeded FAU Owls in the East Region final on Saturday in New York. The Wildcats advanced with an overtime victory over Michigan State in the Sweet 16 and are looking to advance to their first Final Four since 1964.
FAU is the Cinderella of this region but has been solid all season, finishing atop the Conference USA college basketball standings and coming into this game with 34 overall wins.
This is easily the most surprising of matchups among the NCAA basketball games today, so let’s take a closer look at the game and make our best FAU vs Kansas State prediction for you to bet.
FAU vs. Kansas State Odds
FAU vs. Kansas State Information
FAU Owls vs Kansas State Wildcats
Location of the game: Madison Square Garden, New York, NY.
Date and Time: Saturday, March 25, 2023, 6:09 PM ET.
How to Watch: TBS
Updates for Owls vs. Wildcats
FAU had never won an NCAA Tournament game before this season, but it shouldn’t be a surprise it has advanced like it has considering how it dominated its NCAAB schedule throughout the season. Now coach Dusty May’s squad is looking to beat the March Madness betting odds and advance to the Final Four in Houston next weekend.
Sophomore guard Johnell Davis has been a big reason for the Owls’ success this season, leading the team in scoring at 13.9 points per game while also averaging 5.4 rebounds. He’s turned up his game in the NCAA Tournament, scoring 29 points in the second-round win over FDU and finishing with 15 points and six rebounds in the upset of fourth-seeded Tennessee in the Sweet 16.
Freshman guard Nicholas Boyd came up big against the Volunteers, finishing with 12 points eight rebounds and two assists despite battling foul trouble and playing just 23 minutes. Boyd is averaging 9.0 points, 4.3 rebounds and 2.6 assists while shooting 39.4% from the floor this season.
Kansas State’s Success
Kansas State guard Markquis Nowell has been possibly the best of all of the college basketball players to play in the NCAA Tournament this season, coming up huge for the Wildcats so far. The senior had a game for the ages against Michigan State, finishing with 20 points, a tournament-record 19 assists and five steals in the overtime victory. In three games in the NCAAs, Nowell is averaging 21.3 points, 14.0 assists, and 3.6 steals, helping Kansas State ruin many people’s hopes for a March Madness perfect bracket.
Forward Keyontae Johnson is the Wildcats’ leading scorer at 17.7 points per game while also averaging 6.9 rebounds. He had 22 points in the win over Michigan State and is averaging 17.6 points in the tournament.
Another huge performance in the Sweet 16 contest came from junior forward Ismael Massoud, who hit 4-of-6 from 3-point range and finished with 15 points off the bench. Massoud is averaging just 5.5 points per game on the season.
Injury Report
The college basketball injury report is empty for these teams, but Nowell twisted his ankle badly against Michigan State, though he was able to come back and finish the game. How much that will affect him will certainly need to be factored into any FAU vs Kansas State prediction.
FAU vs. Kansas State Betting Preview
Betting on March Madness is never easy, and this game is going to be no exception. Both of these NCAA basketball teams are playing extremely well, and there is a lot on the line in this contest. The NCAAB odds are favoring the Wildcats, but just barely, with Kansas State giving two points on a point-spread bet. You can get -110 odds no matter which team you choose in that wager.
The over/under for the game has been set at 144.5 points, with -110 odds available for either side of that bet as well.
FAU vs. Kansas State Betting Prediction
This will be one of the harder college basketball picks today, but we like the Wildcats to come through with the win.
Kansas State has faced the more difficult competition this season and has the hottest player in the game right now running the show. It won’t be easy, but our FAU vs Kansas State prediction is for the Wildcats to win and cover to advance to the Final Four.
Betting on this event:
Bet on the Wildcats to deliver.
- As for the correct score, go with the Kansas State Wildcats 78 – 74 FAU Owls.
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