The No. 9 seed Memphis Tigers make their first NCAA Tournament appearance since 2014 when they take on the No. 8 seed Boise State Broncos in a West Region first-round game at the Moda Center in Portland, Oregon on Thursday. The Tigers (21-10) earned an at-large berth after losing to Houston in the final of the American Athletic Conference tournament. Boise State (27-7), which edged San Diego State for the Mountain West tournament title, last participated in the NCAA Tournament in 2015.

Tip-off is set for 1:45 p.m. ET. The Tigers are favored by three points in the latest Memphis vs. Boise State odds from Caesars Sportsbook, while the over-under for total points scored is 133.5. (See up-to-date odds for every game this week on our college basketball odds page.)

Before making any Boise State vs. Memphis picks or NCAA Tournament predictions, be sure to check out what the SportsLine Projection Model has to say.

The model simulates every Division I college basketball game 10,000 times. Over the past five-plus years, the proprietary computer model has generated an impressive profit of almost $1,500 for $100 players on its top-rated college basketball picks against the spread. Anyone who has followed it has seen HUGE returns.

The model knows Memphis' 71-53 loss against Houston was just its second setback in 14 games. Jalen Duren led the Tigers with 14 points and pulled down 10 rebounds for his eighth double-double of the season, while senior forward DeAndre Williams was the only other member of the team to score in double figures, recording 10 points. Duren, a freshman center, leads Memphis with averages of 12.2 points and 8.1 boards. 

The model also knows Boise State has yet to register a victory in the NCAA Tournament, losing all of its previous seven contests - including a 56-55 setback against Dayton in a 2015 First Four game. The Broncos' 53-52 triumph over San Diego State for the Mountain West tournament crown was their eighth victory in nine outings. Freshman forward Tyson Degenhart led Boise State with 13 points while senior forward Abu Kigab, who tops the team with an average of 14.7, scored 11 in the win.

Now, the model has set its sights on the NCAA Tournament and Memphis vs. Boise State. We can tell you it is leaning Over the total, and it also says one side of the spread covers in almost 60 percent of simulations! You ABSOLUTELY need to see it before locking in any college basketball picks.

Who wins Memphis vs. Boise State? And which side of the spread covers in almost 60 percent of simulations? ... Join SportsLine right now to find out which side of the Boise State vs. Memphis spread you should be all over Thursday, all from the model on a roll on college basketball picks!