The 2025 NCAA Tournament is in full swing after an entertaining first day of first-round matchups. Friday brings us another full day of college basketball with the rest of the March Madness Round of 64 games. Let’s take a deep dive into one of those with these Colorado St vs. Memphis predictions. 

No. 5 seed Memphis will take on No. 12 seed Colorado State in the West region of the NCAA Tournament bracket. It’s time to break down the top stats, players, storylines, and betting odds to know before the game gets underway on Friday. Check out our Colorado St vs. Memphis predictions below. 

 

 

 

Colorado St vs. Memphis Predictions for March Madness Round One, 3/21

Friday’s March Madness Round One matchup between Colorado State and Memphis should be an entertaining and back-and-forth game. On the one side, we have the red-hot Rams playing as well as any team in the country. Meanwhile, Memphis has won 29 games this year and looks poised for more. 

Let’s now get into the top Colorado St vs. Memphis predictions for tonight’s NCAA Tournament first-round showdown. 

 

 

 

Colorado State Rams: Can The Mountain West Champs Stay Hot? 

Colorado State is arguably the hottest team in the country heading into the NCAA Tournament. The Rams have won 10 straight games and are 15-2 since the middle of January. During the current winning streak, CSU is playing like the eighth-best team in college basketball, per BartTorvik. 

The Rams won the Mountain West Conference Tournament by beating Utah State and Boise State by 11 and 13 points, respectively, in the semifinals and finals. Plus, six of their last seven wins have come by double digits. CSU is also 10-0 against the spread (ATS) over the past 10 contests and 17-4 ATS over its last 21 games. 

Do-it-all playmaker Nique Clifford is the headliner for Colorado State. The senior wing has emerged as a projected NBA Draft lottery pick, averaging 19.0 points, 9.7 rebounds, 4.4 assists, and 1.2 steals per game – leading the team in each category. Clifford also shoots 39.8% from three-point range. 

It’s worth mentioning, by the way, that the Mountain West has routinely underperformed in the NCAA Tournament. The league tournament champ is just 1-9 straight up in the first round since 2013. Can Colorado State buck the trend?

 

 

 

Memphis Tigers: Tyrese Hunter Injury Looms Large

Memphis was the best team in the American Athletic Conference all season. The Tigers went 16-2 in league play before winning the AAC Tournament as well. They’ve won 16 of the last 17 games coming into this matchup. 

Penny Hardaway has his team back in the NCAA Tournament after missing out last year. The Tigers boast a ton of talent, led by flashy guard PJ Haggerty. The sophomore is averaging 21.8 PPG this season and can score from all three levels. 

The big news surrounding Memphis, though, is the recent injury to Tyrese Hunter. The senior point guard is doubtful to play today after suffering a foot injury in the conference tournament. Hunter’s absence leaves a sizable void in the Tigers’ backcourt that already didn’t have much depth. 

Memphis has been winning a ton lately, but it hasn’t been as strong against the spread. The Tigers are just 5-8 ATS over their last 13 games and 7-13 ATS over the past 20 contests. 

 

 

 

How To Watch Round One of March Madness 2025

Friday’s March Madness Round One game between Colorado State and Memphis is scheduled to tip off at 2:00 pm ET. You can watch it on TBS or stream it on the March Madness Live app. 

The Colorado St vs. Memphis matchup is just one of 16 games on Friday. Other NCAA Tournament first-round action will be airing on CBS, TNT, and truTV in addition to TBS. Plus, you can watch them all on the March Madness Live app. Let’s now dive into Colorado St vs. Memphis picks, odds, and predictions. 

 

 

 

Colorado St vs. Memphis Odds, Spreads, Total & Betting Lines

Before we get to our Colorado St vs. Memphis predictions, check out the betting lines on FanDuel Sportsbook. As of this writing, here are the Colorado St vs. Memphis odds: 

  • Colorado State Rams (-125) vs. Memphis Tigers (+104)
    • Spread: Colorado State -1.5 (-110) vs. Memphis +1.5 (-110)
    • Game Total: Over 146.5 (-114) vs. Under 146.5 (-108)

 

 

 

Colorado St vs. Memphis Pick: Colorado State ML (-125 on FanDuel)

As noted above, Memphis and Colorado State both come into this first-round game on fire. The Tigers and Rams both won their conference tournaments and neither has lost a game over the past month. This is a toss-up game, but we’re going with Colorado State to win on the money line (-125 on FanDuel) for our Colorado St vs. Memphis predictions. 

Colorado State’s current win streak is a bit more impressive than Memphis’ because of the competition. The Mountain West was a notably tougher conference than the American Athletic this year. The Rams were one of four Mountain West teams to make the NCAA Tournament with another barely missing out (Boise State). The Tigers, on the other hand, are the lone AAC participant. 

Head coach Niko Medved has his team playing its best basketball at the perfect time. Colorado State should also benefit from getting a taste of March Madness last year. The Rams won their First Four matchup before losing in the first round. 

Meanwhile, the Tyrese Hunter injury is impossible to ignore at this stage. Hunter was Memphis’ lead point guard and ball-handler while being a reliable on-ball defender. He was also the team’s best three-point shooter. In his absence, backup guard Baraka Okojie is thrust into a bigger role after barely playing for most of the season. 

Besides that, the Tigers have two glaring weaknesses on offense. They rank 306th nationally in offensive turnover rate and 249th in free-throw percentage. Those issues are magnified in an NCAA Tournament win-or-go-home setting. If Memphis is turning it over and struggling from the free-throw line, it could be a long night. 

On the other end, Colorado State has a balanced offensive attack despite Clifford being the go-to option. The Rams rank 25th in Division I in two-point offense and 28th in free-throw percentage while shooting 36.6% from three (51st). They can beat Memphis in multiple ways. 

Then there are these interesting nuggets. No. 12 seeds are 60% ATS against No. 5 seeds over the past 15 NCAA Tournaments. A top-5 seed has been an underdog in the Round of 64 only twice since 2005. In both instances, it was a No. 5 seed and in both instances, the No. 12 seed won and covered the spread. 

Back the Rams to get it done for our Colorado St vs. Memphis picks. Let’s grab Colorado State on the moneyline (-125 on FanDuel) for our best bet. 

 

 

 

Colorado St vs. Memphis Injury Report & Starting Lineup

Colorado State Rams Injury Report

  • None

Colorado State Rams Expected Starters 

  • Nique Clifford (G) – 19.0 PPG, 9.7 RPG
  • Jalen Lake (G) – 11.1 PPG, 2.0 APG
  • Kyan Evans (G) – 10.2 PPG, 3.1 APG
  • Jaylen Crocker-Johnson (F) – 9.0 PPG, 4.3 RPG
  • Rashaan Mbemba (F) – 7.2 PPG, 3.6 RPG

Memphis Tigers Injury Report

  • Tyrese Hunter (G) – Doubtful
  • Dante Harris (G) – Questionable

Memphis Tigers Expected Starters 

  • PJ Haggerty (G) – 21.8 PPG, 3.8 RPG
  • Dain Dainja (F) – 14.4 PPG, 7.2 RPG
  • Colby Rogers (G) – 10.4 PPG, 2.0 RPG
  • Nicholas Jourdain (F) – 6.4 PPG, 5.6 RPG
  • Baraka Okojie (G) – 1.5 PPG, 1.1 APG

 

 

 

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