Charlotte vs. Memphis Prediction, Odds and Key Players for Wednesday, Feb. 21 (Back the Underdog 49ers)
Penny Hardaway’s club is in free fall following an ugly 106-79 loss to SMU on the road on Saturday. Memphis was once an AP Top 25 team, but has lost six of its last nine games. Can they be trusted to cover as favorites Wednesday night at FedEx Forum?
Meanwhile, Charlotte has its eyes on potentially making the NCAA Tournament for the first time since 2005 in its final year in Conference-USA. The 49ers are 11-2 in American Athletic Conference play this season and are just one game back of USF for the top spot in the league. Can they pull out a road upset of the struggling Tigers?
Here’s the betting preview for Wednesday’s AAC matchup with a best bet.
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Charlotte vs. Memphis odds, spread and total
Charlotte vs. Memphis betting trends
- Charlotte is 14-10 ATS this season
- Memphis is 8-18 ATS this season
- Charlotte is 4-5 ATS as an underdog this season
- Memphis is 4-14 ATS as a favorite this season
- The OVER is 11-12-1 in Charlotte games this season
- The OVER is 16-9-1 in Memphis games this season
Charlotte vs. Memphis how to watch
- Date: Wednesday, Feb. 21
- Game time: 8 p.m. EST
- Venue: FedEx Forum
- How to watch (TV): ESPN+
- Charlotte record: 17-8 (11-2 AAC)
- Memphis record: 18-8 (7-6 AAC)
Charlotte vs. Memphis key players to watch
Charlotte
Igor Milicic Jr.: The 6-foot-10 junior center from Croatia is third in the American in rebounding (8.6 per game) while averaging 12.8 points and shooting just under 50% from the field. Milicic has four double-doubles over the last six games, including a season-high 14 rebounds (12 points) in Sunday’s win over Wichita State.
Memphis
David Jones: The 6-foot-6 senior forward anchors one of the fastest offenses in the nation and best in the AAC. Jones leads the American in scoring (22 points per game) and is sixth in rebounds (7.6). Jones is averaging 23.8 points over his last five games and had 33 points (his most since November) in Sunday’s blowout loss to SMU.
Charlotte vs. Memphis prediction and pick
Memphis plays at a top-20 pace in the nation, according to KenPom, and it's one of the reasons the Tigers are 16-9-1 to the over this season. Memphis is a top-100 team in the country in 2-point and 3-point shooting while ranking No. 86 in effective field goal percentage and No. 66 in offensive rebounding percentage. Unfortunately for Memphis, Charlotte knows how to get stops.
The 49ers are No. 41 in effective field goal percentage and No. 26 defending 3-pointers while ranking second in the AAC in scoring defense, permitting just 64.8 points per game. Memphis’ up-tempo has also led to a ball security issue as the Tigers rank No. 273 in turnover percentage.
Charlotte’s offense can score, too, ranking No. 104 in efficiency. The 49ers struggle from the perimeter, but triples make up just 36.7% of their shot attempts. Inside the arc, Charlotte has been great, ranking 68th in the nation in 2-point shooting.
Memphis is an AAC-worst 8-18-1 ATS this season and have been brutal to backers (4-14 ATS) when laying points. Charlotte is playing its best basketball having won 11 of its last 12 while Memphis is collapsing. Take the points with the 49ers.
Game odds update periodically and are subject to change.