Florida Atlantic vs. Northwestern: 2024 NCAA Tournament Odds, Preview & Predictions
March Madness is officially here! The 2024 NCAA Tournament Bracket has been announced, and the teams are lining up for the Big Dance. Let's take a look at the early odds, preview, and predictions for the 2024 NCAA Tournament game: Florida Atlantic vs. Northwestern. And make sure to check out our 2024 NCAA Tournament Bracket Optimizer to take down your pools!
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2024 NCAA Tournament Odds, Preview & Predictions: Florida Atlantic vs. Northwestern
Here are odds and team previews for each of the two squads in this opening-round matchup of the 2024 NCAA Tournament.
Florida Atlantic 2024 NCAA Tournament Preview
The Owls have one of the more interesting tournament resumes in the field. This team is very similar to last season’s Final Four squad, with 82 percent minute continuity from last year, the highest percentage in DI. Johnell Davis anchors this team as the co-American League Player of the Year, Vladislav Goldin has taken a step in the frontcourt with one of the highest effective field goal percentages in the nation, and this team’s depth is impressive. I say FAU has a weird resume because Dusty May’s squad often plays to its level of competition. Losses to Florida Gulf Coast, Bryant, and Temple are concerning, but the Owls took down Arizona in their biggest game of the year.
What has surprisingly taken a step back is Florida Atlantic’s defense. Over the last month and a half, the Owls ranked outside the top 150 in defensive efficiency, with that number sitting at 109 for the full season. While they limit transition scoring, the Owls aren’t great at forcing turnovers or limiting second-chance looks, and they allow a lot of midrange scoring at a high shooting percentage.
It will be tough to predict FAU in the tournament, because everyone has seen FAU make a deep run. But remember, Florida Atlantic won in the final seconds against Memphis last year. It feels like every game FAU plays this tournament will come down to the final seconds, so it will be stressful to pick for or against them. While their fast play and elevated performance against elite opponents is promising, the Owls’ subpar defense is not. Surprising things happen every tournament, but it would be especially wild to see FAU return to the Final Four.
Northwestern 2024 NCAA Tournament Preview
Judging any team entering March Madness is tough because everyone has a clean slate and anything can happen. It’s especially tough in this case because of Northwestern’s injury concerns. Ty Berry is out for the season, Matthew Nicholson probably wouldn’t be able to play until late March. Ryan Langborg still seems banged up, playing only 22 minutes against Wisconsin in the Big Ten Tournament. Boo Buie has take-over-a-game potential and is one of the most improved players in the Big Ten, but there’s only so much he can do. Buie’s supporting cast has been OK, but a lack of depth is concerning. Considering the Wildcats’ dependency on the deep ball, Langborg’s absence would be most concerning. The Princeton transfer has shot over 41 percent from beyond the arc this year and is a big reason why Northwestern is shooting at the fourth-best percentage from deep this year.
Chris Collins’ team slows the game down and rarely turns the ball over, so variance is on their side with the lower possession rate but higher shot volume. After depending on defense a year ago, Northwestern sits near 75th in adjusted defensive efficiency on KenPom which is not great. Opponents shoot near 36 percent from beyond the arc which puts Northwestern outside the top 300 in that category. Northwestern lost to Chicago State, which should almost be disqualifying.
It’s hard to trust Northwestern, as it metaphorically and literally limps into the NCAA Tournament. But it’s hard to doubt Boo Buie, and the Wildcats have shown their capacity to step up against high-level competition, bringing both Purdue games to overtime. Before you fill out your bracket, double-check for injury news, because that will go a long way in determining how far this Northwestern team can go.
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2024 NCAA Tournament Sports Betting Picks
Now that the 2024 NCAA Tournament brackets have been announced, it’s time to make your sports betting picks to increase the excitement of March Madness. Let's take a look at the early odds and picks for the 2024 NCAA Tournament
EAST REGION
- UCONN v Stetson (1v16)
- Iowa St. v South Dakota St. (2v15)
- Illinois v Morehead St. (3v14)
- Auburn v Yale (4v13)
- San Diego St. v UAB (5v12)
- BYU v Duquesne (6v11)
- Washington St. v Drake (7v10)
- Florida Atlantic v Northwestern (8v9)
MIDWEST REGION
- Montana St/Grambling St PLAY IN
- Virginia/Colorado St. PLAY IN
- Tennessee vs. Saint Peter’s (2v15)
- Creighton vs. Akron (3v14)
- Kansas vs. Samford (4v13)
- Gonzaga vs. McNeese (5v12)
- South Carolina vs. Oregon (6v11)
- Utah St. vs. TCU (8v9)
SOUTH REGION
- Boise St./Colorado PLAY IN
- Houston vs. Longwood (1v16)
- Marquette vs. Western Kentucky (2v15)
- Kentucky vs. Oakland (3v14)
- Duke vs. Vermont (4v13)
- Wisconsin vs. James Madison (5v12)
- Texas Tech vs. NC State (6v11)
- Nebraska vs. Texas A&M (8v9)
WEST REGION
- Howard/Wagner PLAY IN
- Arizona vs. Long Beach St. (2v15)
- Baylor vs. Colgate (3v14)
- Alabama vs. Charleston (4v13)
- Saint Mary’s vs. Grand Canyon (5v12)
- Clemson vs. New Mexico (6v11)
- Dayton vs. Nevada (7v10)
- Mississippi St. vs. Michigan St. (8v9)
2024 NCAA Tournament Bracket Pool Strategy & Picks
Below we provide strategy, advice, and picks to create the optimal NCAA Tournament bracket. And be sure to use our FREE bracket optimizer to build a winning men’s NCAA tournament bracket and take down your contest!