The Memphis Tigers (29-5) are set to face the Colorado State Rams (25-9) in the first round of the NCAA Tournament on Friday.
Under the guidance of coach Penny Hardaway, Memphis enters the tournament as a No. 5 seed. The Tigers have secured notable victories this season, including wins over Michigan State, Clemson, and UConn. However, they face challenges with injuries to point guards Tyrese Hunter and Dante Harris, which will certainly impact the performance of the backcourt. PJ Haggerty is Memphis’ leading scorer averaging 21.8 points per game.
The Rams, the No. 12 seed, are led by coach Niko Medved. Colorado State is on a remarkable 10-game winning streak. They are spearheaded by NBA prospect Nique Clifford, who leads the team in scoring (19.0 per game) and rebounding (9.7 per game) for the season.
Colorado State’s current form combined with Memphis’ depleted backcourt is why the line favors the No. 12 Rams.
The winner of this game earns the right to play the winner of the Maryland vs. Grand Canyon game.
Lets dive into the matchup and offer some information and possibly a sweat or two.
We’ve got all the info and analysis you need to know ahead of the game, including the latest info on the how to catch the opening tip, recent team performance, player stats, and of course, our predictions, picks & best bets for the game from our modeling tools and staff of experts.
Game details & how to watch Colorado State vs. Memphis
- Date: Friday, March 21, 2025
- Time: 2:00PM EST
- Site: KeyArena
- City: Seattle, WA
- Network/Streaming: TBS
Never miss a second of the action and stay up to date with all the latest scores and player news. Check out our day-by-day NCAA Basketball Schedule Page that includes live game updates.
Game odds for Colorado State vs. Memphis
The latest odds as of Thursday courtesy of BetMGM:
- Odds: Colorado State Rams (-130), Memphis Tigers (+105)
- Spread: Rams -1.5
- Total: 147.5 points
Expert picks & predictions for Colorado State vs. Memphis
NBC Sports Bet Best Bet
Our model calculates projections around each moneyline, spread and over/under bet for every game on the NCAA calendar based on data points like past performance, player matchups, injuries, and the schedule.
Once the model is finished running, we put its projection next to the latest betting lines for the game to arrive at a relative confidence level for each wager.
Here are the best bets our model is projecting for Friday’s Rams & Tigers game:
- Moneyline: NBC Sports Bet is recommending a play on Memphis on the Moneyline.
- Spread: NBC Sports Bet is leaning towards a play ATS on Memphis +1.5.
- Total: NBC Sports Bet is leaning towards a play on the Game Total UNDER 147.5.
Colorado State vs. Memphis: Top betting trends and recent stats
- These schools last met in 2021 with Memphis waxing Colorado State, 90-67
- Colorado State has won 10 straight on the Moneyline and against the spread (18-13 ATS for the season)
- Memphis has won 8 in a row but is just 4-4 against the spread in those 8 games (15-16 ATS for the season)
If you’re looking for more key trends and stats around the spread, moneyline and total for every single game on the schedule today, check out our NCAA Basketball Top Trends Tool on NBCSports.com!
Please bet responsibly. If you or someone you know has a gambling problem, call the National Gambling Helpline at 1-800-522-4700.
Follow our experts on socials to keep up with all the latest content from the staff:
· Jay Croucher (@croucherJD)
· Drew Dinsick (@whale_capper)
· Vaughn Dalzell (@VmoneySports)
· Brad Thomas (@MrBradThomas)
