The No. 18 Memphis Tigers play the UAB Blazers on Sunday afternoon on the road in a matchup that could decide first and second place in the regular-season conference standings.
Although two games remain in the season for both teams after this contest, the Tigers currently sit in first place in the AAC, while the Blazers are tied for second. With a victory, UAB would tie Memphis, creating a tie-breaking scenario if both finished off the season with two expected wins.
Can the Blazers force the issue, or will the Tigers put even more distance between themselves and the field? Find out below as we make a prediction and break down the spread, total, and money line bets.
Memphis vs. UAB Betting Preview
All Memphis vs. UAB odds are from Fanduel Sportsbook and are correct as of Sunday, March 2, 2025.
- Spread
Memphis -1.5 - Moneyline
Memphis -115, UAB -105 - Over/Under
161.5 Points - Game Time
Sunday, March 2, 4:00 p.m. ET - Location
Bartow Arena | Birmingham, AL - How To Watch
ESPN
Memphis has been below-average in covering this season, with a 13-15 record ATS. They’ve been even worse in conference with a 5-10 record ATS. The Tigers have only covered the spread twice in their last seven games.
The Blazers are also middling, with a 14-13 overall record ATS, but they have covered 66% of their AAC contests, including their last two.
A relatively average defensive team, Memphis tends to go slightly over the point total this season. Fifteen of their 28 games have reached the over, as well as five of their last seven.
UAB scores at a terrific rate of 83.4 ppg, good for the 11th-best mark in the nation. However, only 14 of their 27 games have gone over the point total. In fact, just over 50% of their conference games have gone under.
Preview for Memphis vs. UAB
The Tigers enter with a 23-5 overall and 13-2 AAC record. They currently hold first place in the standings and a ranking of No. 18 in the most recent AP Poll. They have key wins over UConn, Ole Miss, No. 14 Missouri, No. 13 Clemson, and No. 8 Michigan State.
UAB, picked to finish first in the conference in preseason polls, has had a good season thus far, with a 19-9 overall record, including 12-3 in conference play. That has them in a tie for second place, but they have a major opportunity to move into a tie for first place with a victory on Sunday.
AAC Player of the Year candidate Yaxel Lendeborg will do everything in his power to make that happen. The senior forward does it all for the Blazers, leading the team in every major stat category with averages of 17.6 ppg, 10.9 rpg, 4.3 apg, and a combined 3.4 steals and blocks per game.
But it’s not just Lendeborg, as five Blazers average between eight and 12 ppg. That group is headed by senior guard Alejandro Vasquez, who exploded for a season-high 29 points in their last outing. Senior forward Christian Coleman helps Lendeborg in the front court, contributing 7.2 rpg and 11.3 ppg.
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UAB’s meeting with Memphis on Sunday won’t be their first of the season. The Tigers ran away with a 100-77 victory over the Blazers on their home floor on Jan. 26. In that game, Memphis leading scorer P.J. Haggerty produced a game-high 23 points on 9 of 16 shooting from the field.
That was just a routine effort for Haggerty, who’s second in the conference in scoring at 21.3 ppg. The 6’3″ sophomore guard also adds 5.5 rpg and a team-leading 3.8 apg. At just 20 years old, he’s proven to be one of the top players in the conference and a prime candidate to compete with Lendeborg for the AAC Conference Player of the Year award.
Fellow guard, senior Tyrese Hunter, scores 14.3 ppg but is on a cold streak as of late, combing for only 14 points in his last two. That production has been picked up by 6’9″ senior forward Dain Dainja, averaging 13.2 ppg and 6.7 rpg on the season but has amassed impressive numbers in his last two games.
Back-to-back 22-point, 11-rebound, and 25-point, 10-rebound efforts have led to the Tigers’ last two wins off the back of Dainja.
The contest in Birmingham will surely benefit the Blazers this time. This game will be hotly contested with high stakes for both teams.
Best Bets and Final Score Prediction
Considering that the last meeting between these two teams totaled 177 points, the listed total of 161.5 points doesn’t seem too far off. That game did feature Memphis scoring 100 points, over 20 points above their season average. However, UAB scored just under seven points below its season average as well.
Both teams are on hot streaks in terms of hitting the over, with Memphis going over in five of their last seven and the Blazers hitting that mark in three of their last five.
Hence, the over of 161.5 points is a solid play here. We’re going to see an up-and-down basketball game between two extremely talented teams featuring some of the best players that the AAC has to offer.
In the first meeting, both Lendeborg and Vasquez were held in check. The big man scored 18 points, but did it on 5 of 15 shooting from the field, while the guard managed just four points on four shot attempts.
That won’t happen this time around.
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The Memphis defense is nothing to fear, as they’re in the middle of the pack regarding points allowed. I’d be willing to bet that Lendeborg and Vasquez will have many different games this time.
For those reasons, I’d take UAB to win outright. The odds currently stand at -105 but may push towards plus-money at tip-off, all great value.
There are also two-player props that I like in this one.
The first is pretty straightforward: Dainja over 6.5 rebounds, with odds of -116. He’s reached this mark in four out of his last five games—excluding a game mired with foul trouble—and he should breeze past this line with ease.
Lendeborg’s point-player prop is set at 17.5 points with -105 odds, just below his season average. Although he’s gone under in each of his last two games, I’d predict he’ll be noticeably more aggressive in this one, with UAB needing him to assert his will to win the game.
Picks: Over 161.5 Points, UAB ML (-105), Dainja Over 6.5 Rebounds, Lendeborg Over 17.5 Points
Prediction: UAB 85, Memphis 80
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