The No. 10 Florida Atlantic Owls meet the Loyola Chicago Ramblers in the 2023-24 season opener for both teams on Wednesday. The Owls, led by head coach Dusty May, reached the 2023 Final Four before losing to San Diego State last season. FAU won 35 games and returns most of the team’s top contributors. Loyola Chicago aims to improve on a 10-21 season in 2022-23 under head coach Drew Valentine.
Tipoff is at 7 p.m. ET in Chicago. For this game, SportsLine consensus lists the Owls as 5.5-point favorites, while the over/under, or total number of points Vegas thinks will be scored, is 142 in the latest FAU vs. Loyola Chicago odds via SportsLine consensus. Before making any Loyola Chicago vs. FAU picks, be sure to see the college basketball predictions and betting advice from the SportsLine Projection Model.
The model simulates every Division I college basketball game 10,000 times. It went 85-55 on all top-rated college basketball picks last season, returning more than $1,600 for $100 players. Anyone who followed it saw huge returns.
Now, the model has set its sights on FAU vs. Loyola Chicago and revealed its CBB picks and predictions. You can head to SportsLine to see the picks. Here are several college basketball odds and trends for Loyola Chicago vs. FAU:
- FAU vs. Loyola Chicago spread: FAU -5.5
- FAU vs. Loyola Chicago over/under: 142 points
- FAU vs. Loyola Chicago money line: FAU -241, Loyola +200
- FAU: The Owls were 25-11-1 against the spread last season
- Loyola Chicago: The Ramblers were 9-22 against the spread last season
- FAU vs. Loyola Chicago picks: See picks at SportsLine
Why FAU can cover
FAU is coming off a historic season in 2022-23, notching 35 victories and NCAA Tournament wins over Kansas State, Memphis and Tennessee on the way to the Final Four. The core of the team returns for the 2023-24 campaign, led by Johnell Davis and Alijah Martin. Davis, a 6’4 guard, led the team in scoring last season, averaging 13.8 points and 5.4 rebounds per game. He also upped his game late in the year, averaging 15.8 points and 6.0 rebounds per game over FAU’s last 10 contests. Martin is a two-time All-CUSA selection, and he averaged 13.4 points and 5.3 rebounds per game last season, though he is questionable to open the season with a foot injury.
That pairing is flanked by seven-foot center Vladislav Goldin, who led the team with 6.5 rebounds per game, and FAU led Conference USA last season in scoring 112.4 points per 100 possessions. The Owls also had elite shooting efficiency, including 53.8% on 2-point attempts and 36.6% on 3-point attempts. Florida Atlantic excelled in the possession game as well, committing a turnover on fewer than 17% of offensive possessions and grabbing 31.4% of available offensive rebounds. See who to back at SportsLine.
Why Loyola Chicago can cover
Loyola Chicago struggled in 2022-23, but the Ramblers have seven key players returning, headlined by 6’6 forward Philip Alston. He led the team with 14.6 points and 5.6 rebounds per game last season, and Alston shot 40.0% from beyond the 3-point arc. Alston is joined by Ben Schwieger, an A-10 All-Freshman selection, and the Ramblers were strong in overall shooting efficiency last season. Loyola Chicago was in the top 25 of the country in 2-point accuracy (54.8%), and the Ramblers averaged nearly 14 assists per game.
Loyola Chicago is also facing an FAU defense that isn’t elite in rim protection, with the Owls producing only a 6.8% block rate that ranked outside of the top 250 nationally a year ago. Loyola also has a few avenues to success on defense, especially when it comes to defensive rebounding. The Ramblers grabbed almost 72% of available defensive rebounds last season, and FAU was below the national average in free throw creation on offense. See who to back at SportsLine.
How to make Loyola Chicago vs. FAU picks
The model is leaning Over on the total, projecting 144 combined points. It also says one side of the spread hits well over 70% of the time. You can only see the model’s pick at SportsLine.
So who wins FAU vs. Loyola Chicago, and which side of the spread hits well over 70% of the time? Visit SportsLine now to find out which side of the spread you need to jump on, all from the model that went 85-55 on its top-ranked college basketball picks last season, and find out.