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Texas Southern vs F. Dickinson Prediction, Game Preview, Live Stream, Odds and Picks
Purdue Awaits Winner of Play-In Game
Texas Southern a Slight Favorite
There might not be a more improbable matchup in this year’s March Madness bracket than the one between Texas Southern and Fairleigh Dickinson as both teams defied the NCAA basketball odds.
Texas Southern finished sixth in the Southwestern Athletic Conference (SWAC) during the regular season and had only one three-game winning streak heading into the conference tournament. FDU lost in the Northeast Conference tournament at Merrimack. Since Merrimack is still transitioning from Division II to Division I, the Knights received the conference’s automatic bid into the NCAA Tournament.
This is Fairleigh Dickinson’s seventh NCAA Tournament appearance and first since 2019. Texas Southern is making its third straight trip to the NCAAs and seventh trip since 2014.
Junior guard Isaiah Marin hasn’t played since mid February and senior center Grayson Carter has missed the last six games for Texas Southern. Shaqir O’Neal, the son of Hall of Famer Shaquille O’Neal, has been out for the last four games.
FDU has no such injury-related issues.
According to the odds to win March Madness, Fairleigh Dickinson and Texas Southern are priced at +10000 in the odds to win the national championship. Texas Southern comes into the game as a favorite.
The Knights are 301st in the NCAA NET rankings, losing its only Quad 1 game. Texas Southern is 294th with four Quad 1 losses.
Walker Stepping Up
Trailing top-seeded Alcorn State in the first round of the SWAC tournament, senior forward John Walker scored nine of his 13 points and also had an assist during a 17-0 run that turned a one-point deficit into a 16-point lead. He added 14 points, three rebounds, four assists and five blocked shots in the championship game against Grambling as the Tigers are headed back to the NCAA Tournament.
He is a major reason why the Tigers led the SWAC in rebounds and rebound margin.
Texas Southern outrebounded its three opponents by 20 and was +10 in offensive rebounding.
Senior guard PJ Henry had 45 points and eight 3-pointers in the semifinal and title game victories as Texas Southern won the SWAC tournament for the third season in a row.
Your TSU Tigers go back-to-back-to-back!!! 3-PEAT!!!!! SWAC 2023 CHAMPIONS❗️❗️❗️#marchmadness #BeLegendary #GoTigers #TSUProud | @txsotigers @texassouthern @theswac pic.twitter.com/QuOQ1U6IPb
— Texas Southern Basketball (@TSUMensHoops) March 12, 2023
Texas Southern has covered against the college basketball betting lines in each of the last three games and each of those games also went under the total.
Knights Dancing Again
Fairleigh Dickinson trailed for a total of 71 seconds in the quarterfinals and semifinals in the Northeast Conference tournament. That was pretty much all the Knights needed to do once Merrimack secured a spot in the title game since Merrimack wasn’t eligible for the NCAA Tournament.
Demetre Roberts averaged 15 points in the three NEC tournament games. Even more impressive were his 17 assists and six turnovers in the three games.
He has made an immediate impact after transferring in from Division II St. Thomas Aquinas.
Sophomore Ansley Almonor added 13.3 points in the tournament as the highest scoring team in the conference is headed to the NCAAs
Fairleigh Dickinson has covered against the NCAA basketball odds in three of its last four games.
Texas Southern vs F. Dickinson Game Injuries
Texas Southern vs F. Dickinson Head-to-Head
This is the first meeting between the teams.
Fairleigh Dickinson topped the SWAC champion in a play-in game the last time the Knights made it into the NCAA Tournament.
The Knights shot 68% in the second half to erase a seven-point halftime deficit in a win over Prairie View A&M in the 2019 NCAA Tournament.
Texas Southern vs F. Dickinson Game Information
- Game: TX Southern (14-20, 7-11 SWAC) vs F. Dickinson(19-15, 10-6 NEC)
- Location: UD Arena, Dayton, OH
- Day/Time: Wednesday, March 15, 6:40 p.m. ET
- Texas Southern vs FDU Live Stream: TBS.com
Texas Southern vs F. Dickinson Betting Lines
Texas Southern vs F. Dickinson Picks and Prediction
It is a tough game to call as the winner gets to play top-seeded Purdue about three hours from the Purdue campus.
Texas Southern has more players with NCAA Tournament experience. Henry and Walker combined for 30 points and 11 rebounds in last year’s win over Texas A&M Corpus Christi before the Tigers got a rude awakening with a matchup against eventual national champion Kansas.
FDU is just 13-18-1 against the NCAA basketball odds this season while Texas Southern is 11-19-2 ATS, the worst mark in the SWAC.
The Knights were +23 in rebounding during the NEC tournament while Texas Southern dominated on the glass in the SWAC tourney, so the team to get the upper hand in the rebounding department could survive and advance.
Texas Southern is 8-8 when listed by the Las Vegas NCAA odds as the favorite. Fairleigh Dickinson is just 5-8 as an underdog.
Texas Southern is listed at -145 in our Vegas college basketball lines. This means that if you wager $100 on the Tigers, you have a chance to win $69. Fairleigh Dickinson is +125, offering a chance to win $125 on a $100 wager. The implied probability attached to the betting lines gives Texas Southern a 59.18% chance to win, with Fairleigh Dickinson at 44.44%.
