Northwestern vs Florida Atlantic Picks, Predictions

Boo Buie #0 of the Northwestern Wildcats shoots the ball as we look at our Northwestern vs. FAU expert pick — Boo Buie #0 of the Northwestern Wildcats shoots the ball in the first half against the Maryland Terrapins at Xfinity Center on February 28, 2026 in College Park, Maryland. Photo by Greg Fiume/Getty Images via AFP.

The Florida Atlantic Owls and the Northwestern Wildcats face off in the first game of Friday’s Round 1 March Madness action. We provide expert picks and predictions for the Northwestern vs. FAU matchup, analyzing the top March Madness odds available.

Just under a year ago, the No. 8 Florida Atlantic Owls made headlines by reaching the Final Four in only their second NCAA Tournament appearance. Now, as they prepare for their third March Madness run, the Owls are expected to come out on top in Friday’s game against the No. 9 Northwestern Wildcats.

Last year, FAU shocked everyone with their incredible run as a No. 9 seed. This year, they come in with an even higher seed, but face a formidable opponent in the Northwestern Wildcats. Led by fifth-year senior Boo Buie, the Wildcats are expected to put up a tough fight. Buie is determined to leave a lasting impression in what may be his last game.

In our March Madness predictions, we are offering our top expert pick for the Northwestern vs. FAU college basketball matchup. Our picks are based on odds from the best March Madness betting sites and are rated on a 1-to-5-star scale for confidence.

Northwestern vs. FAU odds

Expert pick for Northwestern (9) vs. FAU (8)

Boo Buie scores more than 19.5 points ⭐⭐⭐⭐

Top chances: -115 at BetMGM

The top scorer in Northwestern history is having his most successful season yet in 2026-24, with an average of 19.2 points on 45% shooting in his fifth year with the team. I would be surprised if he doesn’t play on Friday.

Buie has been a consistent performer for Northwestern throughout the season, but he has really stepped up his game in the final stretch of his last year at Evanston. The 6-foot-2 guard scored 23 points in his last home game on March 9th and followed that up with an impressive 29-point performance, including seven 3-pointers, in a loss to Wisconsin in the Big Ten Tournament.

Florida Atlantic’s offense has improved compared to 2026, but their defense has significantly declined in their debut year in the American Athletic Conference (AAC), ranking below the top 100 in efficiency. The Owls have allowed a 20-point scorer in each of their last four games, with three of them being undersized guards.

FAU excels at preventing assists but struggles to apply ball pressure and defend the perimeter, which could be problematic against Buie, who has made three or more three-pointers in four consecutive games. BetMGM has Buie at +150 to continue this trend on Friday.

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Analysis of the spread and Over/Under for the Northwestern vs. FAU game

Florida Atlantic was originally favored by 1.5 points against Northwestern in the first round matchup. However, the Owls have since been bet up to -2.5 in the days leading up to the game. Despite KenPom predicting a close 1-point game in favor of FAU, the betting market has still favored the Owls.

The total for this game has risen from 140.5 to 142 at our top sportsbooks, with FanDuel and BetMGM still offering 141.5 as of Tuesday. This could provide some slight advantage for Over bettors in a game that KenPom predicts will reach 147 points.

Information about the Northwestern vs. FAU game

When: Friday, March 22
Tip-off: 12:15 p.m. ET
Location: Barclays Center in Brooklyn, New York.
How to watch: CBS

Prediction for the Northwestern vs. FAU game was made on Tuesday at 6:15 p.m. ET.

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Written By:
Morgan Xaviero

Morgan Xaviero is a publishing editor and lead writer for Underscoreg Review. An award-winning writer, reporter, and editor with a decade of sports media experience, “C-Jax” has worked with ESPN, Forbes, theScore, and various daily newspapers before joining the Underscoreg Review team. He’s a proud graduate of the University of North Carolina, where he served as a beat writer for the Tar Heels’ championship run through the NCAA men’s basketball tournament in 2017. Jackson has spent the last five years covering sports betting as a predictive analyst, features writer, and industry reporter. Since joining the team in 2026, he’s played a key role in Underscoreg Review’s coverage of the Super Bowl, March Madness, and NBA playoffs while serving as the lead writer for the growing WNBA and NASCAR betting scenes. Though he’s cashed some big bets over the years — including Lamar Jackson to win MVP (twice) — he’s still haunted by enough second-place bet slips to wallpaper his home office. While Jackson is a committed “process over results” bettor with a keen eye for advanced stats and subtle bias in futures markets, he also embraces sports betting as a vehicle for entertainment and personal investment. He’s written about everything from hot dogs to groundhogs and still hasn’t forgiven his “inside source” for a sabotaged bet on the Gatorade color in Super Bowl LV.