UAB vs Memphis Preview, Odds, Predictions (Feb. 22)

• The Blazers have won four of their last six games in conference play.
• The Tigers have lost four of their last six contests in league play.
• This marks the 57th all-time matchup between the two American squads.

The American Conference will begin the Feb. 22 with an intriguing matchup between the UAB Blazers and Memphis Tigers. The latter comes out as the slight favorite, providing many factors that can make the difference in this duel.

How to Watch

• When: Sunday, Feb. 22, 12 pm ET
• Where: FedExForum, Memphis, Tennessee
• How to Watch: ESPN2

NCAA Matchup Odds & Lines

Game Preview

The Blazers (17-10, 8-6 American) find themselves in the middle of the American’s playoff picture. They’ve won four of their last six games, vying for favorable position to end conference play. The squad is 16th in the country in rebounds per game grabbing 40.93. They are also 22nd in both offensive rebounds per game (13.37) and defensive rebounds per game (27.56). Evan Chatman is 28th in defensive rebounds with 6.33 per game, which ranks first in the American Conference, being 30th in total rebounds (240) this season.

The Tigers (12-14, 7-6 American) are losing steam ahead of the closing stretch in league play. They’ve lost three consecutive matchups against the likes of North Texas, Utah State and USF, presenting concerns about their chances of qualifying for the conference tournament. Memphis has relied heavily on bench points scoring 33.15 a game which ranks 15th in the nation. The Tigers also put the opponent on the free throw line quite often, collecting 20.2 fouls per game. That ranks 346th in the nation. Dug McDaniel is 21st in the nation in steals (58) and steals per game (2.23). That ranks first in the conference in both categories. On another note, since Jan. 18, Sincere Parker ranks second nationally in scoring off the bench with 16.9 points per game.

UAB vs Memphis Head-to-Head

The two programs have had 56 meetings in their history, and the result is 44-12 for the Tigers. The last matchup was February this year when Memphis won 90-80 on the road.

UAB vs Memphis Predictions

The Tigers have a major strength going into this duel, boasting a 10-3 record at home. They also already beat UAB on the road earlier this month, meaning that it will take a lot for the Blazers to pull off the upset in enemy territory rather than defending homecourt. Our betting pick here is the Tigers to cover a 5.5-point spread.

• Free NCAAB pick: Memphis Tigers -5.5