Florida Golf Coast vs Florida State March Madness Betting Prediction, Pick & TV Info

Posted by Kenny Bell on Wednesday,March 15, 2017 10:38, EDT in

Remember “Dunk City” in 2013? That was the moniker given to Florida Gulf Coast University when it made a run to the Sweet 16 with some spectacular dunking involved. The Eagles are back as a No. 14 seed as they take on ACC school and third seed Florida State on Thursday in the West Region. The winner gets either No. 11 Maryland or No. 6 Xavier. Here’s a closer look college basketball odds for this game.

Florida Golf Coast vs Florida State March Madness Betting Prediction, Pick & TV Info

When: Thursday, March 16, 9:20 PM ET
Where: Amway Center, Orlando
TV: TNT
Stream: March Madness Live
Radio: FGCU / FSU
Opening NCAAB Lines: FSU -12

Why Bet On FGCU?

FGCU returns to the tournament for the third time in five seasons. The Eagles won a First Four game last year before falling to North Carolina by 16. This season, they bring with them the fifth-best shooting team in the country, making 50.2% of their attempts, most of those shots coming at close range.

The Eagles aren’t as successful from the three-point line, however. While scoring gets noticed, FGCU also does a lot of the dirty work that leads to wins with a strong field-goal percentage defense and rebound margin.

FGCU’s leading scorer is point guard Brandon Goodwin, who transferred in from Central Florida this season. He is averaging 18.2 points per game. There are three other Eagles players averaging double digit points per game.

The Seminoles’ size will also be an issue for the Eagles. They have just two players, forwards Demetris Morant and Antravious Simmons, with playing time this year that are taller than 6-foot- 8. The Seminoles have four including two 7-foot- plus centers in Michael Ojo and Christ Koumadje.

From there, FGCU will need its backcourt to hold up. Zach Johnson, a sophomore guard, adds 11.8 points per game for the Eagles while junior guard Christian Terrell chips in with 10.3. The Eagles played three high major opponents in out-of- conference play. They were crushed by Florida, lost by nine at Baylor, and they lost by one at Michigan State.

Why Bet On FSU?

With a 25-8 record, the Seminoles have the second-most wins in school history and the best winning percentage in 41 years. They are making their first tournament appearance since 2012 when they lost to Cincinnati in the Round of 32.

Florida State enters the 2017 NCAA Tournament as the national leader with six wins over teams in the top 25 of the latest RPI – No. 6, Duke (88-72, January 10 in Tallahassee), No. 7 Louisville (73-68, January 21 in Tallahassee), No. 10 Florida (83-78, December 11 in Tallahassee), No. 18 Virginia (60-58, December 31, in Charlottesville), No. 21 Minnesota (75-67, November 28 in Tallahassee), and No. 23 Notre Dame (83-80, January 18 in Tallahassee).

The Seminoles’ top-line talent could make them a tough out. Dwayne Bacon is a future pro. Freshman Jonathan Isaac is an all-around talent and potent shot blocker, and Xavier Rathan-Mayes’ assist-turnover ratio of 2.76 is among the 25 best in Division I. Florida State beat seven ranked opponents this season, tying a school record. With two more wins overall, they would tie their single-season wins record. The Seminoles had two losses entering a Jan. 25 game at Georgia Tech but are just 7-6 since.

FSU’s depth is usually a big problem for teams as they play 11 players more than 10 minutes per game, but FGCU plays 10 players over 10 minutes per game. The Seminoles are 15-2 when scoring 80 points or more in a game this season. The Eagles are 13-1 when scoring 80 points or more.

Florida Golf Coast vs Florida State Betting Prediction: FGCU Eagles

Florida State might escape but take the points. FSU was not a good team away from home.