#11 Florida State vs Miami Road to March Madness

No. 11 Florida State now controls its destiny to win the ACC regular-season title, and the Noles should have little trouble winning at a decimated and struggling Miami side on Wednesday. FSU will be a big favorite on the NCAAB odds and is +3300 to win the national title.

How to Bet Florida State at Miami NCAA Basketball Odds & TV Info

When: Wednesday, 8:30 PM ET
Where: Watsco Center
TV: ACC Network
Stream: ESPN app
Radio:com
Opening NCAAB Lines: TBA (FSU will be favored)

Last Meeting

On Jan. 27, Miami was blown out 81-59 at Florida State. The Seminoles shot 32 of 62 from the floor. The Hurricanes shot 20 of 54. Florida State used a 12-0 run in the second half to extend its lead to 54-33 with 11:06 left. The Seminoles led by 24 points, at 71-47 late in the game. UM was down a few key players due to injury. The Canes had eight first-half turnovers, shot just 8 of 25 (32 percent) from the floor in the first 20 minutes and lacked the manpower to keep up with Florida State’s depth. The Seminoles have won the past six in the series

Why Bet on Florida State? | 2021 NCAA Basketball Expert Analysis

FSU (13-3) is now in first place in the ACC after a 79-72 win at Pittsburgh on Saturday and Virginia’s upset loss at Duke. The Seminoles led for over 35 minutes of the game, but never by more than 11 points. Pitt was able to shut down Noles star M.J. Walker, who finished 0 for 5 with no points, but Florida State used its size advantage and reserves to wear down the Panthers. Nine Florida State players scored four points or more. Walker remains seven points away from 1,000 for his career.

Florida State’s 23 made free throws were the most by a Pitt opponent this season. The Seminoles’ 29 attempts were the second most allowed by the Panthers. Pitt was outscored 33-9 off the bench and 17-8 in fast break points.

“Their size and athleticism as well as their depth makes them a very unique team,” Pitt coach Jeff Capel said. “They come in waves, and so they’re a very good basketball team.”

RaiQuan Gray scored 16 points and led four Seminoles in double-figure scoring. It was his eighth consecutive game with at least 10 points and he was just two rebounds shy of earning his third career double-double. Coach Leonard Hamilton continued to show off his team’s specialty – depth. With 33 bench points against the Panthers, at least nine players played for 13 or more minutes.

FSU was able to hold Pitt to 38.2 percent shooting (26 of 68) and 23.5 percent (4 of 17) from the three-point line. The scheduling of the game occurred late last Wednesday after the Seminoles’ scheduled game against Virginia Tech was postponed and the Panthers’ scheduled game against Clemson was postponed.

Including an 8-1 record in the first two calendar months of 2021, Florida State has a 20-4 overall record and in ACC play in the months of January and February in the last two seasons. FSU is 38-11 in ACC regular season play since the start of the 2018-19 season.

Why Bet on Miami? | 2021 NCAA Basketball Expert Analysis

Miami (7-13) has been destroyed by injuries all year and dynamic point guard Chris Lykes is unlikely to play again this season because of an ankle injury that has sidelined him since Dec. 4. The Hurricanes have been without four rotation players for most or all of the season, with Lykes playing in only two games. The 5-foot-6 senior was a preseason first-team all-ACC pick after leading Miami in scoring a year ago.

UM lost its third game in a row Saturday, 87-60 at home vs. Georgia Tech. Michael Devoe led all scorers with 29 points as Georgia Tech dominated. The 27-point win marked the largest margin of victory by Georgia Tech in an Atlantic Coast Conference road game in program history.

The Jackets gained momentum with a strong first half as Miami won the second half, 42-39, but wasn’t able to significantly cut into Tech’s 30-point halftime advantage. Tech won the rebounding battle, 35-26, and finished the game shooting 57.1 percent (36-63) from the field. Tech snapped out of a five-game funk from the three-point line, hitting 11-of-26 from distance (42.3 percent) against Miami. The Jackets had shot just 30.1 percent over its previous five games.

The Hurricanes began the game with just six available scholarship student-athletes and played the entire second half with only five after sophomore guard Isaiah Wong, the ACC’s fourth-leading scorer, suffered a right ankle injury before the intermission. Senior guard Elijah Olaniyi paced Miami with 18 points on 6-of-9 shooting and added a team-high seven rebounds, while sophomore forward Anthony Walker scored 16 points.

Guard Harlond Beverly did not play in Saturday’s game against Georgia Tech and is out indefinitely. Beverly played in the Hurricanes’ first 19 games, starting 15, and averaged 28.7 minutes a game. He has averaged 6.7 points, 4.5 rebounds, 3.3 assists and 1.5 steals.