The No. 5 seed Memphis Tigers (29-5) will face the No. 12 seed Colorado State Rams (25-9) on Friday in a first-round matchup in the West Region of the 2025 NCAA Tournament.

The Tigers, led by head coach Penny Hardaway, ended their regular season strongly with an 84-72 victory over UAB in the AAC Tournament Championship Game. Conversely, the Rams come into this match on a high note, winning their last 10 games to secure their spot. They recently defeated Boise State 69-56 to claim the Mountain West Conference Championship.

Tipoff is scheduled for 2 p.m. ET at the Intrust Climate Pledge Arena in Seattle, Washington. Colorado State is listed as a 1.5-point favorite, with an over/under of 147.5 points. Before making any bets on this matchup, consider checking out the detailed predictions and stats from SportsLine.

Memphis Tigers Breakdown

Memphis has shown dominant form lately, winning 16 of their last 17 games, although they will miss the impactful guard Tyrese Hunter due to injury. This could impact their matchup against Colorado State’s smaller lineup.

PJ Haggerty, a 6-foot-3 junior, is Memphis’s standout player with averages of 21.8 points, 5.8 rebounds, and 3.8 assists this season. Meanwhile, senior forward Dain Dainja contributes significantly with 14.4 points and 7.2 rebounds per game.

Colorado State Rams Breakdown

The Rams have turned heads, achieving an 18-3 record in their last 21 games. Nique Clifford, a senior guard, is a potential first-round NBA Draft pick, averaging impressive stats: 19.0 points, 9.7 rebounds, and 4.4 assists per game. His supporting cast also provides depth, with Jalen Lake contributing with 11.1 points per game.

Betting Insights

SportsLine’s model indicates a lean to the Over on the point total, projecting a combined score of 151 points and suggesting an against-the-spread pick that has performed strongly in simulations.