Two No. 16 seeds square off and one will advance to the first round of the Big Dance when the Fairleigh Dickinson Knights and Texas Southern Tigers collide in a 2023 First Four game on Wednesday at the University of Dayton Arena in Dayton, Ohio. The Knights (17-15) are looking to win just the program's second NCAA Tournament victory ever. They tied for second in the Northeast Conference during the regular season. Meanwhile the Tigers (12-20) can earn the program's fourth NCAA Tournament win. They finished eighth in the Southwestern Athletic Conference in the regular season. The winner of Wednesday's game will face No. 1 seed Purdue on Friday.
Tipoff is set for 6:40 p.m. ET. The Tigers are favored by 2.5 points in the latest Fairleigh Dickinson vs. Texas Southern odds, while the over/under for total points scored is 146.5. Before making any Texas Southern vs. Fairleigh Dickinson picks, be sure to see the college basketball predictions and betting advice from SportsLine's Larry Hartstein.
A former lead writer for Covers and The Linemakers, Hartstein combines a vast network of Vegas sources with an analytical approach he honed while working for Pro Football Focus. He also has been SportsLine's most profitable college basketball expert. In his last 158 college basketball picks, he has gone 93-64-1, which translates to a 58.9 winning percentage and a $2,265 return for $100 bettors.
Now, he has set his sights on Texas Southern vs. FDU in the First Four 2023. You can head to SportsLine to see his picks. Here are several college basketball odds and trends for FDU vs. Texas Southern:
- Fairleigh Dickinson vs. Texas Southern spread: Tigers -2.5
- Fairleigh Dickinson vs. Texas Southern over/under: 147.5 points
- Fairleigh Dickinson vs. Texas Southern money line: Tigers -145, Knights +125
- FDU: The Knights average 106.2 points per 100 possessions, which leads all NEC teams.
- TXSO: Davon Barnes leads the Tigers in scoring (13.6 points per game).
- Fairleigh Dickinson vs. Texas Southern picks: See picks at SportsLine
Why Texas Southern can cover
PJ Henry is coming off three big games in the SWAC Tournament. The senior guard from Houston averaged 18.7 points per game and shot 40.9% from 3-point land during the tournament. For his efforts, he was named the SWAC Tournament MVP.
In addition, Texas Southern is the best rebounding team in the SWAC. The Tigers average 37.7 rebounds per game, which leads the conference and ranks 37th in the country. They also lead the SWAC in rebound margin (2.1 rebounds per game).
Why Fairleigh Dickinson can cover
Demetre Roberts enters the NCAA Tournament on a roll. Over the last seven games the fifth year senior from Mount Vernon, N.Y., is averaging 15.7 points per game while shooting 45.2% from the field and 85.7% from the line. In his last game, he had 15 points on 6-of-10 shooting and six assists against Merrimack.
In addition, Fairleigh Dickinson faces a Texas Southern team that struggled behind the 3-point arc. The Tigers shoot just 28.4% on 3-pointers, which ranks 350th in the country. They average just 4.8 3-pointers per game, which is 346th.
How to make Fairleigh Dickinson vs. Texas Southern picks
Hartstein has analyzed this matchup and while we can tell you he's leaning Over the total, he has discovered a crucial x-factor that makes one side of the spread a must-back. He's sharing it only at SportsLine.
Who wins Fairleigh Dickinson vs. Texas Southern? And what critical factor makes one side of the spread a must-back? Visit SportsLine now to see which side of the Texas Southern vs. Fairleigh Dickinson spread you should jump on -- all from SportsLine's No. 1 college basketball expert, who is 93-64-1 in his last 158 college basketball picks.
