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The No. 5 seed Memphis Tigers (29-5) square off against 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, capped off a dominant regular season with an 84-72 win over UAB in the AAC Tournament Championship Game. The Rams are one of the hottest teams in the country, winning 10 straight games to close out the regular season. CSU defeated Boise State 69-56 in the Mountain West Tournament Championship Game. Tyrese Hunter (foot) is out for Memphis.

Tipoff from Intrust Climate Pledge Arena in Seattle, Washington, is set for 2 p.m. ET. Colorado State is a 1.5-point favorite in the latest Memphis vs. Colorado State odds from SportsLine Consensus, while the over/under for total points scored is 147.5. Before making any Colorado State vs. Memphis picks, be sure to check out the college basketball predictions from the SportsLine Projection Model.

The model simulates every Division 1 college basketball game 10,000 times. It enters the 2025 NCAA Tournament on a 228-166 roll (+2025) on all top-rated college basketball picks dating back to 2023. This model has also produced brackets that have beaten over 91% of CBS Sports entries in four of the last six tournaments and nailed 24 first-round upsets by double-digit seeds. Anyone following could have seen huge returns.

Now, the model has set its sights on Colorado State vs. Memphis and just locked in its March Madness predictions. You can visit SportsLine now to see the model's picks. Here are the college basketball odds and lines for Memphis vs. CSU:

  • Colorado State vs. Memphis spread: CSU -1.5
  • Colorado State vs. Memphis over/under: 147.5 points 
  • Colorado State vs. Memphis money line: CSU -119, Memphis -101
  • CSU: The Rams are 21-13 against the spread this season.
  • MEM: The Tigers are 16-18 against the spread this season.
  • Colorado State vs. Memphis picks: See picks at SportsLine

Why Colorado State can cover

The Rams were outstanding in the second half of the season, going 18-3 overall in their last 21 games. CSU rolled through the Mountain West Tournament, notching blowout wins over Utah State and Boise State along the way. For the season, Colorado State is 21-13 against the spread. 

The Rams are led by senior guard Nique Clifford. The likely first-round NBA Draft pick has been one of the top players in the country all season, averaging 19.0 points, 9.7 rebounds, 4.4 assists, and 1.2 steals per game. Fellow guard Jalen Lake leads the Rams' supporting cast, with per game averages of 11.1 points, 2.8 rebounds, and 2.0 assists. See which team to pick here. 

Why Memphis can cover 

The Tigers were dominant throughout the regular season, winning 16 of their last 17 games entering the NCAA Tournament. Penny Hardaway's team is athletic, but will be without a dynamic guard in Hunter. Even without Hunter, the Tigers have the size and scoring ability to give the smaller CSU lineup fits.

Memphis is led by guard PJ Haggerty. The 6-foot-3 junior averages 21.8 points, 5.8 rebounds, 3.8 assists and 1.8 steals per game. Senior forward Dain Dainja leads the Memphis supporting cast, averaging 14.4 points and 7.2 rebounds per game. See which team to pick here. 

How to make Memphis vs. Colorado State picks

SportsLine's model is leaning Over on the point total, projecting 151 combined points. It has also generated an against-the-spread pick that hits in well over 60% of simulations. You can only get the model's picks at SportsLine. 

So who wins Memphis vs. Colorado State, and which side of the spread hits in well over 60% of simulations? Visit SportsLine now to see which side of the spread to jump on, all from the advanced model that has returned more than $2,000 on its college basketball picks, and find out.