FULL-ON Contrarian Play Here - Pick #25 - FAU +4.5 (-104) FanDuel.

FAU has rolled up nine consecutive victories, while covering six games during the span. It’s creating quite a history with the Volunteer State, too. The last loss for the Owls came at Middle Tennessee on February 16, its first-ever Madness win was against Memphis, and now its first-ever Sweet Sixteen game is against Tennessee.

The Volunteers have to look back to just 2019 for their last trip to the Sweet Sixteen. They topped a pair of double-digit seeds before bowing out to Purdue in an overtime loss.

Tennessee is making its ninth-ever appearance in the Sweet Sixteen, going just 1-7 straight-up in its previous eight trips. It has never faced a Conference USA member at any point of the NCAA Tournament in its 50-game history.

The Vols will be looking to slow down the Owls, using their signature defense to do the job. Tennessee has allowed 55 or fewer points in three of its four postseason games, cashing the Under in each of those outings. The lone exception was its SEC Tournament loss to Missouri on March 10, a 79-71 setback.

FAU struggled with the press and tenacious D of a smallish FDU team last round, and Tennessee is likely to be too much for the Owls at MSG on Thursday. Tennessee is much larger in size than Fairleigh Dickinson, and FAU will have difficulty getting into the paint for points. It will likely need to go outside for more shots, but Tennessee No. 1 in defensive 3-point percentage during the season, too.

The spread is surprisingly low, mainly due to Tennessee’s stout defensive, FAU’s inexperience on this stage, and the fact the Vols D has been amazing in this tournament to date. 

EVEN STILL - Just like the Princeton games - It is awfully hard to handicap emotion, and I just believe that FAU is on a mission that will ultimately end in the Final Four group.  TAKE FAU!!!!