/cdn.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_image/image/68973462/1306937142.5.jpg)
March 19 update: Here are the updated bet splits for No. 4 Florida State vs. No. 13 UNC Greensboro as of March 19th at 11 a.m. from DraftKings Sportsbook:
FSU: -10.5: 59% of action, 72% of bets
UNCG: +10.5: 41% of action, 28% of bets
Over 145.5: 14% of action, 32% of bets
Under 145.5: 86% of action, 68% of bets
Update March 17: Here are the updated bet splits for Florida State vs. UNCG as of March 18th at 10:00 a.m. from DraftKings Sportsbook:
Florida State -10.5: 55% of handle, 70% of bets
UNCG +10.5: 45% of handle, 30% of bets
Over 145.5: 14% of handle, 43% of bets
Under 145.5: 86% of handle, 57% of bets
The No. 4 seed Florida State Seminoles will open up their NCAA Tournament with a matchup with the 13th seed UNC Greensboro Spartans on Saturday, March 20th. The Seminoles come in as double-digit favorites to advance to the round of 32. This game will tip off at 12:45 p.m. ET from Bankers Life Fieldhouse and can be seen on truTV.
No. 4 Florida State: 16-6 (11-4 ACC): At-large
KenPom rating: 15 overall, 10 Offense, 48 Defense
NET ranking: 25, (3-4 VS Quad 1)
Leading scorer: M.J. Walker
Key stat: Florida State ranks No. 12 in the country with 5.1 blocked shots per game.
Florida State can score just about as well as any team in the country, and they can make up for a less-efficient defense than we’ve seen in the Leonard Hamilton era. The Seminoles led the ACC in scoring this season and is especially dangerous at the three-point line where they shoot 39% as a team.
Watch for Florida State’s defense to force UNC Greensboro into shooting jumpers where the Spartans really struggle.
No. 13 UNC Greensboro: 21-8 (13-5 Southern): Automatic Bid
KenPom rating: 100 Overall, 129 Offense, 67 Defense
NET ranking: 84 (0-1 VS Quad 1)
Leading scorer: Isaiah Miller
Key stat: Isaiah Miller leads the team in points (19.3), assists (4) and steals (2.6) per game and is 0.1 rebounds away from being the best in that category.
Everything UNC Greensboro does starts with senior guard Isaiah Miller. He is a two-time Southern Conference Player of the year and won the Defensive Player of the Year award each of the last three seasons. Greensboro struggles offensively and is led by defense. They allow the lowest field goal percentage defensively but were the worst shooting team in the conference this season.
Watch for sophomore guard Keyshaun Langley to make an impact as Florida State should focus a lot of attention on Miller. Langley is the second leading scorer and is second in assists and steals.
March Madness Odds from DraftKings Sportsbook
Point spread: Florida State -10.5
Point total: 145.5
Moneyline: Florida State -590, UNC Greensboro +440
The Pick
Against The Spread Pick: Florida State -10.5
Point total pick: Under 145.5
Pick to Win: Florida State
UNC Greensboro has a good enough defense for the final score to sit below the over/under, but their struggles on the offensive end are too much not to take Florida State as double-digit favorites. As the worst shooting team in the Southern Conference, it’s hard to pick the Spartans to cover with any type of confidence. Take the Seminoles and the under.