Kansas State vs Florida Atlantic Prediction, Odds & Best Bet for March 25 NCAA Elite 8 Game (Wildcats Punch Ticket)

Kansas State vs Florida Atlantic Prediction, Odds & Best Bet for March 25 NCAA Elite 8 Game (Wildcats Punch Ticket)

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Kansas State vs Florida Atlantic Game Info

  • 2022-23 NCAA Tournament Game
  • Kansas State (26-9) vs. Florida Atlantic (34-3)
  • Date: Saturday, March 25, 2023
  • Time: 6:09 PM ET
  • Venue: Madison Square Garden -- New York City, New York
  • Coverage: TBS

The 2023 NCAA Tournament continues on Saturday with a great Elite 8 matchup between the No. 9 Florida Atlantic Owls and No. 3 Kansas State Wildcats. FAU is looking to earn its first Final Four trip in school history, while Kansas State is aiming to advance past the Elite 8 for the first time since 1964.

FAU pulled away in the second half of a 62-55 Sweet 16 win over Tennessee thanks to Johnell Davis' 15 points & 6 rebounds. Meanwhile, Kansas State outlasted Michigan State in a 98-93 overtime thriller behind Markquis Nowell's big night (20 points & 19 assists). Which team will win the East region?

Kansas State vs Florida Atlantic Odds & Spread

Kansas State enters this contest as a slight favorite on the moneyline and spread per FanDuel Sportsbook's odds. This Elite 8 clash also features an over/under of 144.5 points, with the under favored at -118 odds.

Kansas State vs Florida Atlantic Betting Trends

  • Kansas State has covered the spread 23 times in 35 games.
  • The Wildcats are 14-4 as 2.5-point favorites or more.
  • Out of 35 Kansas State's games so far this year, 19 have gone over the total.
  • Florida Atlantic has 24 wins in 35 games against the spread this season.
  • The Owls are 4-2 as 2.5-point underdogs or more.
  • This season, 18 of Florida Atlantic's 35 games have hit the over.
Kansas State Rank Kansas State AVG Florida Atlantic AVG Florida Atlantic Rank
68th 76.2 Points Scored 78 36th
159th 69.6 Points Allowed 64.8 40th
179th 31.8 Rebounds 35.9 14th
189th 8.5 Off. Rebounds 9.5 90th
209th 7.1 3pt Made 9.6 14th
8th 17.1 Assists 14.6 70th
311th 13.3 Turnovers 11.1 104th

Kansas State vs Florida Atlantic Prediction & Pick

This is a matchup between two of the best stories in college basketball. Kansas State was picked to finish last in the Big 12, but have come to life under first-year head coach Jerome Tang. On the other side, FAU had zero tournament victories coming into this campaign and keeps defying expectations.

Only one team can advance to the Final Four, though, and there's a lot to like about Kansas State's chances of being that team. The Wildcats run the offense through Nowell and his ability to command attention, which leaves teammates open. That style plays right into FAU's defensive weakness.

The Owls are vulnerable when it comes to defending the rim as they average a dismal 2.6 blocks per game (No. 259 in NCAA) and allow 8.1 opponent offensive rebounds per game (No. 153 in NCAA). Kansas State is firing on all cylinders right now and has the size to punch a ticket to the Final Four.

Final Score Prediction: Kansas State: 76 | Florida Atlantic: 72

Kansas State vs Florida Atlantic Best Bet

Kansas State has an opportunity to dominate this game down low and from the free throw line as well. The Wildcats get to the charity stripe 20.9 times per game (No. 52 in NCAA) and shoot 75.0% (No. 62 in NCAA). The Owls rank outside the top 190 teams in the country in those statistical categories.

This game still lines up as a toss-up, which makes shifting gears to Kansas State's point total a smart move. The Wildcats have scored at least 73 points in seven of their last eight games, while the Owls have allowed at least 73 points 12 times this season. Trust Tang's squad to stay hot in the tourney.

Bet: Kansas State Wildcats Over 72.5 Points (-116)

Larry Rupp is not a FanDuel employee. In addition to providing DFS gameplay advice, Larry Rupp also participates in DFS contests on FanDuel using his personal account, username phillyfan424. While the strategies and player selections recommended in his articles are his personal views, he may deploy different strategies and player selections when entering contests with his personal account. The views expressed in their articles are the author's alone and do not necessarily reflect the views of FanDuel. 

Game odds refresh periodically and are subject to change.