Fairleigh Dickinson vs Texas Southern Picks & Odds (March 15)

• Fairleigh Dickinson takes on Texas Southern in a First Four NCAA tournament match up on Wednesday, March 15th
• Texas Southern have covered the spread in three straight games
• Check out all the Fairleigh Dickinson vs Texas Southern odds and predictions

The Fairleigh Dickinson Knights (19-15, 10-6 NEC) battle the Texas Southern Tigers (14-20, 7-11 SWAC) in the First Four round of the NCAA Tournament. Get in on the action as Fairleigh Dickinson vs Texas Southern has the early 640pm tip-off!

Fairleigh Dickinson had won three straight games before falling to Merrimack in the NEC Championship game on March 7th.

While Texas Southern most recently beat Grambling State 61-58 to win the SWAC Championship and clinch their spot in the First Four.

Fairleigh Dickinson vs Texas Southern tips off at 6:40pm ET on Wednesday, March 15th. Check out all the odds for this First Four NCAA Tournament match up and our best Fairleigh Dickinson vs Texas Southern bets below.

Fairleigh Dickinson vs Texas Southern Odds

Texas Southern enters Wednesday’s NCAA Tournament action as 2-point favorites over Fairleigh Dickinson. The Tigers are -130 favorites on the moneyline, with the Knights coming back as short +110 underdogs. The total for Fairleigh Dickinson vs Texas Southern currently sits at 146.5.

Odds as of March 12th at BetMGM. Unlock the BetMGM promo code. 

Fairleigh Dickinson Betting Trends

Fairleigh Dickinson has covered the spread in just four of their last ten contests. Tobin Anderson’s first year with FDU has nearly resulted in an NCAA tournament appearance, win and they’re in.

Conversely, leading scorer Joe Munden Jr (10.4 points per game) struggled as the Knights came up just short in last week’s NEC Championship game. Munden shot 1-6 from the field, as the underdog Knights fell by only one point.

6:46 2H | JOE. MUNDEN. JR. 🔨@JoeRealist pic.twitter.com/rsucsjl6xE

— FDU Men's Basketball (@FDUKnightsMBB) January 28, 2023

While their offense struggled against Merrimack, this squad overwhelmed the North East Conference with athleticism, offensive rebounding, and the full court press. No team in the country pressed more than Fairleigh Dickinson, which poses a monster problem for Texas Southern, as the Tigers are a very poor ball-handling team.

Frighteningly, Fairleigh Dickinson are just 2-10 ATS in their last 10 neutral site games.

Texas Southern Betting Trends

According to KenPom, Texas Southern has one of the poorest offensive attacks in the nation (330th).

That said, if Texas Southern does break the press, the Tigers will be staring down nearly the worst defensive team in the country. Fairleigh Dickinson can’t stop anyone in the half-court, as demonstrated by their 361st defensive efficiency ranking at KenPom.

INTRODUCING: 🏆🏆🏆🏆🏆🏆🏆🏆🏆🏆🏆 YOUR 11-TIME @theswac Tournament Champions pic.twitter.com/FJmRLxHkXD

— Texas Southern University (TSU) Athletics (@TXSOTigers) March 12, 2023

However, Texas Southern has played well defensively. Despite a 7-9 record versus conference opponents, Texas Southern’s defensive efficiency improves to a dominant 99.2/per 100 possessions in SWAC play this season. Crucially, the Tigers allow an offensive rebound on just 27.7% of defensive possessions, good for 148th in the nation.

Leading scorer Davon Barnes has locked in lately, averaging 17 points over the Tigers’ past three games.

Additionally, the Tigers are 4-1-1 against the spread in their last 6 NCAA tournament games.

Fairleigh Dickinson vs Texas Southern Prediction

This First Four matchup gives bettors an interesting contrast in styles. Fairleigh Dickinson has a great offense, and terrible defense, but they can press Texas Southern. While the Tigers have a bad offense, but a potentially dominant defense, and can keep FDU off the boards.

Although you’ll find each of these teams far down the list in the odds to win March Madness, Fairleigh Dickinson vs Texas Southern is sure to be a captivating contest.

Ultimately, Texas Southern has been here before. Head coach Johnny Jones will be looking for his third straight First Four victory on Wednesday. That experience should be prove to be valuable vs Fairleigh Dickinson. Take Texas Southern to cover the spread.

Fairleigh Dickinson vs Texas Southern Pick: Texas Southern -2 (-110)