The NCAA Tournament first round continues on Friday with another set of 16 games. No. 15 Furman vs. No. 2 UConn ends the evening in the East Region in Philadelphia, with tip-off set for 10 p.m. ET on TBS.
The winner of this first-round game moves on to the second round of the NCAA Tournament vs. the winner of Friday’s No. 10 Central Florida vs. No. 7 UCLA matchup.
According to PrizePicks Team Picks, the UConn Huskies are significant 21.5-point favorites today over Furman.
Below, we’ll break down our Furman vs. UConn prediction on the spread for Friday night’s NCAA Tournament game. Make your NCAA Tournament picks on PrizePicks and earn real money if you’re right, including on game winners, spreads, and totals!
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Furman vs. UConn Prediction, Spread, Over/Under for NCAA Tournament – Friday, March 20
The No. 1 seed UConn Huskies might feel less pressure in the tournament this year than in 2025, when the weight of going for the three-peat was on them.
The Huskies are a tough out in this tournament as long as their defense plays up to par. They have no trouble applying full-court pressure, and it’s effective: they rank 11th with a 94.2 defensive rating according to KenPom and rank 14th nationally in shooting against, allowing 40.2%.
Their main offensive strength is their ability to score from anywhere on the court. UConn G Solo Ball can drive the lane, shooting 73.1% at the rim, and 38.5% from three.
UConn C Tarris Reed Jr. is dominant in the paint, leading the team with 13.7 points per game. Thus Huskies also count on the stellar outside shooting of F Alex Karaban, a senior who's 38.6% three-point shooter.
There are 11 first-round games where a 15-seed has beaten a 2-seed. If Furman wants to make it 12, they may need to control the pace. The Paladins rank 263rd in pace — one of the slowest teams in the country — with 65.9 possessions per game.
Furman will lean on star guard Alex Wilkins, averaging 17.7 points and 4.7 assists while shooting 45.9% from the field. Wilkins was impressive during the Southern Conference tournament, averaging 21.6 points over three games.
Furman vs. UConn Spread, Over/Under for NCAA First Round Game
UConn enters Friday’s NCAA Tournament first-round game as a 21.5-point favorite, returning a 1.02x payout on PrizePicks Team Picks if they win.
Furman is the big underdog, with a 14.28x payout if they win, via PrizePicks Team Picks, where you can earn money with your picks in 35 states.
- Spread: UConn Huskies -21.5 (2x payout)
- Over/Under: 134.5 (1.81x payout on Over)
- Game Winner Payout: Furman 14.28x | UConn 1.02x
Team Picks data is live at the time of writing and is subject to change.
Furman vs. UConn Prediction on Spread for NCAA Tournament – Friday, March 20
Here are the key stats to know before locking in your Furman vs. UConn college basketball prediction on the 21.5-point spread in the NCAA Tournament for Friday, March 20, on PrizePicks.
- UConn head coach Dan Hurley is 14-0 against the spread in the NCAA Tournament.
- UConn ranks 11th in the country in KenPom net rating (+27.86).
- Furman ranks 188th in the country in KenPom net rating (-1.94).
- The Huskies are 18-5 all-time as a 2-seed, and have never lost in the first round.
- Connecticut is 4-1 against the spread in neutral-site games.
- Furman is 4-6 vs. non-conference opponents this year.
- Furman played four NCAA Tournament teams, losing to 15-seed High Point by 26 points, Troy by 3 points, Northern Iowa by 16 points, and beating Queens by 11.
- Following a win, Furman is 8-12 against the spread.
- Furman's last conference regular-season game was a 21-point loss to Western Carolina — ranked No. 222 overall on Bart Torvik.
- Connecticut is the No. 9 ranked team, according to Torvik,
- The Paladins have not played since March 9; they are 2-4 against the spread after four or more days off.
Make Your Furman vs. UConn Prediction on PrizePicks
Can the Furman Paladins pull off a massive upset against the program that has won two of the last three National Championships, despite a massive 21.5-point spread?
Or will the UConn Huskies continue their quest for a seventh national title? The Furman vs. UConn NCAA Tournament game is at 10 p.m. on TBS tonight.
You can make your Furman vs. UConn picks on PrizePicks Team Picks to earn real money. With Team Picks, you can make NCAA Tournament predictions on winners, spreads, and over/unders, now available in 35 states.
Keep tabs on the Playbook for continued college basketball predictions, picks, and news.
