The Boise State Broncos (27-7 SU, 18-15 ATS) and Memphis Tigers (21-10, 15-15-1) collide on Thursday in the Round of 64. The Broncos come in as one of the hottest teams in the country, winning 24 of their last 27 games, while the Tigers are 12-2 over their last 14 outings. Which team has the edge in this matchup between No. 8 and 9 seeds? Find out in our Tigers vs Broncos prediction.
- Date/Time: March 17, 1:45 p.m. ET
- Arena: Moda Center
- TV Coverage: TNT
- Sportsbook Tigers vs Broncos Odds: Tigers -2 | O/U 133
- Tigers vs Broncos Betting Matchup Report
Tigers vs Broncos Odds & Analysis
Sportsbook Odds
The Tigers opened as the slight 2-point favorite with the total set at 133 points. The UNDER is 4-2 in Memphis’ last six games while the OVER is 5-1 in Boise State’s last six. Boise State holds the higher seed in this first-round matchup but the books are favoring Memphis, so there’s a lot to think about when making your Tigers vs Broncos prediction.
Get the best Tigers vs Broncos odds and lines available from our recommended sportsbooks for your favorite picks of the night.
- Best Spread-115-105MEM-3+3BOISE
- Best Moneyline-169+149MEMBOISE
- Best Total-105-115Over133.5133.5Under
Memphis Makes First NCAA Tournament Appearance Since 2014
Memphis fell in its final game before the NCAA Tournament, losing 71-53 to Houston in the AAC Tournament final on Sunday. Jalen Duren led the team with 14 points and 10 boards for a double-double while DeAndre Williams added 10 points. Despite the loss, the Tigers made it to their first NCAA Tournament since 2014.
The Tigers will bring a strong offense into the tournament, averaging 75.4 points per game with a shooting rate of 47 percent from the field. They’re led by Duren, the six-foot-11 freshman center who’s averaging 12.2 points, 8.1 rebounds and 2.2 blocks per game this season. Memphis has struggled with ball possession with a turnover rate of 16.2 per game that is the fifth-worst in the nation.
Boise State Coming Off MWC Championship
Boise State eked out a 53-52 win over San Diego State on Saturday to earn the MWC title. San Diego State had multiple chances to tie the game in the final 30 seconds but failed to convert, giving the Broncos a win and an automatic bid to the NCAA Tournament. Tyson Degenhart scored 13 in the game to lead Boise State while Abu Kigab (11 points) and Emmanuel Akot (10 points) finished in double digits as well.
The Broncos bring a much different look than the Tigers as their strength is at the defensive end of the court. Boise State has held opponents to just 60.8 points per game – the 13th-best mark in the nation.
Tigers vs Broncos Pick & Insights
Tigers: Keys To Cover
The Tigers will be trying to get the ball down low to Duren, who’s considered one of the top prospects for the 2022 NBA Draft. The big man scored 21 points and added 20 boards in Memphis’ quarterfinal win over UCF last week – a sign of what the freshman center could bring against the Broncos.
Broncos: Keys To Cover
The Broncos play a much steadier, defensively sound game than the Tigers and they’ll be hoping to force plenty of turnovers from an inexperienced Memphis squad. You can’t ignore Boise State’s one-two punch up front, either, as Kigab (14.7 points) and Marcus Shaver Jr. (13.6 points) have had strong campaigns offensively.
Odds Shark’s Computer Tigers vs Broncos Prediction: Tigers -2.5
Check out more of Odds Shark’s signature NBA and NCAAB computer picks, plus our favorite sportsbooks that serve basketball customers.
- Boise State is 6-3 ATS in its last 9 games.
- Memphis is 10-3 ATS in its last 13 games.
- Memphis is 5-0 SU in its last 5 vs the MWC.
