Colorado State vs Memphis Odds, Player Props & Picks for First Round (March 21)

• The 12-seed Colorado State Rams and 5-seed Memphis Tigers face off in the March Madness First Round
• The Tigers will be looking to run at a breakneck pace while the Rams try to slow down the pace
• See the odds, player props & predictions for Friday night’s Colorado State vs Memphis matchup

Who’s ready for some underdog magic Friday night? That’s what the Colorado State Rams (25-9, 21-13 ATS) are hoping for when they try to pull off another 12-vs-5 “upset” against the #5 Memphis Tigers (29-5, 16-18 ATS). Either way, we’re in for a treat when these two conference champs battle it out. It won’t really be an upset, though. Colorado State is a 1.5-point favorite as of Friday morning and their NET Ranking (47th) going into the tournament is actually two spots higher than Memphis (49th).

But sleep on the Tigers at your own peril; Memphis closed out the season winning 15 of 16 and is currently on an eight game win streak. Tip-off is set for 2:00 pm ET at Climate Pledge Arena in Seattle, WA.

Colorado State vs Memphis Odds

The Rams are slight moneyline favorites, as well, at -125, with the Tigers priced at +105. Colorado State remains as a 1.5-point favorite against the spread. Tonight’s point total in Rams/Tigers is 147.5. Colorado State hit 148 points or higher in just 11 of 34 games this season, while Memphis achieved the feat in 23 of 34 games.

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Odds as of March 20th at bet365 Sportsbook. Get the latest bet365 promo code before betting on Colorado State vs Memphis.

The winner of Colorado State vs Memphis faces off against the winner of #4 Maryland and #13 Grand Canyon in the second round of the 2025 NCAA Tournament.

Colorado State vs Memphis Team Stats

Can the Rams Stay Hot by Controlling the Tempo?

How is it that the hottest team in college basketball can stay so cool?

A lot has been said about CSU’s current winning streak, as they’ve won ten in a row dating back to mid-February, and 15 of their last 17, leading all the way to a Mountain West tourney championship. But the pace at which they play is deliberate and methodical. You’re not going to make the Rams do anything they don’t want to do.

Per KenPom, the Rams are 251st in Adjusted Tempo and, with 68.4, are 274th this year in possessions per game. Slow and low is the tempo for CSU.

But regardless of how they do it, Colorado Sate’s game runs through star guard Nique Clifford. After testing the NBA draft waters last year, Clifford returned to Fort Collins to put up 19.0 PPG, 9.7 RPG, and 4.4 APG. If he wasn’t on the NBA Draft radar already, nearly averaging a double-double per game should do it.

As nice as the ten-game winning streak has been for CSU, are the Rams really ready to dance? Their Quad 1 record this season is just 3-5, which includes two wins over Boise State. For what it’s worth, a third win over Boise State appears on their Quad 2 win sheet, which is a respectable 7-2.

If you’re one to measure the character of a team by the strength of their opponents, then laying a bet on the Rams may not be for you.

Can the Tigers Run the Rams Right Off the Court?

Sure, the Rams have been hot as of late, but it’s not like Memphis is asleep at the wheel. The Tigers have won eight in a row, fifteen of their last sixteen, and captured both the AAC regular season and tournament titles.

They also cleaned up in the AAC Men’s Basketball awards, claiming the Player of the Year (guard PJ Haggerty), Newcomer of the Year (forward Dain Dainja), three All-Conference First Team spots (Haggerty, Dainja, and guard Tyrese Hunter), and Coach of the Year (Penny Hardaway).

On top of that, the Tigers also claimed wins over tourney teams Missouri, UConn, Michigan State, Clemson, Ole Miss, and Mississippi State. And Coach Penny has his squad playing fast, attacking everything with speed, with a non-stop attack of every opposing team.

So why are people down on the Tigers for March Madness? Because they may have sacrificed too many fundamentals for the sake of speed.

Despite their dominance in the AAC, at 13.8 they average the most turnovers per game (for comparison, second-last Rice averaged 11.8), were third in the league fouls committed (17.8), and shot 70.2% from the free throw line. That FT% actually dipped in conference play to 68.2%, so they’ve actually been scoring less from the charity stripe during their winning streak.

The Tigers will be without guard Tyrese Hunter on Friday. The senior guard, who’s averaged 13.7 PPG, 3.8 RPG, and 3.6 APG, went out with a foot injury in the AAC semifinal win over Tulane and has confirmed he won’t be available on Friday.

However, there is hope in the form of a shared opponent in 2025: Ole Miss. The Rebels laid a beating on CSU on a neutral court in November, 84-69, whereas the Tigers did the same to Ole Miss in Memphis six weeks later, 87-70. Make of that what you will.

Colorado State vs Memphis Player Props

I’m riding with Nique Clifford to hit his point total over. He’s eclipsed 24 in five of his last six games, getting as high as 36 against Boise State before firing another 24 against the Broncos in the MWC title game. Look for the Rams to run the offense through this potential first round draft pick.

Colorado State Rams vs Memphis Tigers Prediction

Who’s going to exert their dominance over this game: the up-tempo Tigers or the methodical Rams? For me, I’m going with Colorado State.

Here’s why: though Colorado State marginally shoots better from the floor (47.9% to 47.4%), they’re better from the line (77.5% to 70.2%), don’t foul as often (17.4 vs 17.8), and don’t turn over the ball nearly as often (11.65 vs. 13.82). Knowing that they take better care of the ball at a much slower pace than the Tigers should frustrate Memphis to no end.

Since we’re here to make money, I’m taking CSU to cover rather than win straight-up. If the pace is as slow as I think it’ll be, I’ll ride with the under , too.

Colorado State vs Memphis Picks:

• Colorado State -1.5 (-110)
• Total Points under 147.5 (-110)
• Nique Clifford over 20.5 Points (-115)