Florida State vs Gonzaga 2019 March Madness Sweet 16 Betting Odds & Pick.

Florida State vs Gonzaga March Madness Odds / Live Stream / TV Channel, Date / Time & Pick

Written by on March 26, 2019

March Madness, NCAA Basketball Betting News

Could the ACC become the second conference to ever send three teams to the Final Four? Very possible with five schools still standing. One of those is No. 4 Florida State, but the Seminoles are March Madness odds underdogs on Thursday’s Sweet 16 matchup vs. Gonzaga.

Sweet 16 Bracket: Printable March Madness Bracket 2019

How to Bet Florida State vs Gonzaga NCAA Basketball Odds & Game Info

Last Meeting

These schools met in last year’s Sweet 16 as well and No. 9 Florida State thumped No. 4 Gonzaga 75-60 behind 18 points from Terance Mann, who is a key contributor this year as well. Mann was the only double-digit scorer for the Seminoles, but five FSU players contributed at least seven points apiece. The Seminoles jumped to a 13-point lead early in the second half and never let their margin dip below four.

FSU reached the Elite Eight for the first time since 1993 but would lose that game. Rui Hachimura scored 16 points and Zach Norvell Jr. added 14 for the Zags. Already playing without injured forward Killian Tillie, the Zags struggled when forwards Johnathan Williams and Hachimura got into early foul trouble.

Why Bet on FSU?

The Noles had some trouble with No. 13 Vermont in the first round but not in a 90-62 rout of Murray State in Round 2. With Seminoles forward Phil Cofer watching from the bench just two days after his father died, the Seminoles made good on a vow to honor their teammate and his family with their play. FSU came into the game shooting 33.4 percent from 3 — 223rd in the nation — and then hit eight of their first 11 from behind the arc.

Florida State dominated the Racers from the perimeter (11-of-27 3-point shooting), in the paint (19 dunks or layups) and on the glass (45-33 rebounding advantage). It all added up to Florida State’s most lopsided victory in more than four months. Mfiondo Kabengele recently named the ACC’s sixth man of the year, had 22 points and seven rebounds.

Cofer, who averages 7.4 points and started 19 games for the Seminoles this year, was notified of his father’s passing immediately after Florida State’s first-round win over Vermont. Cofer missed the game due to an injured right foot as well as in Round 2. He’s not expected to play here, either. Cofer was FSU’s leading scorer last season.

It’s FSU’s second Sweet 16 appearance in as many years, sixth in school history and just the second time ever that the Seminoles have made it to the tournament’s second weekend in back-to-back seasons. The last time they did it, in 1992 and 93, the likes of Charlie Ward and Sam Cassell were patrolling the floor.

The Seminoles have won 16 of their last 18 games dating back to January 22 and have victories over four ranked teams in that span that includes knocking off the No. 1 team at the time in Virginia and getting three overtime wins, including two against Virginia Tech in a 10-day period.

Why Bet on Gonzaga?

Gonzaga has barely broken a sweat in wins over No. 16 Fairleigh Dickinson and No. 9 Baylor. It was 83-71 over the Bears on Saturday. Gonzaga’s 19-point lead had dwindled to five early in the second half after a Baylor surge. Brandon Clarke delivered the Zags’ next six points, one on a tough 10-footer as the shot clock was expiring, another on a putback jam and a pair of free throws rewarding Clarke’s hard drive to the rim. GU led 49-38. The Bears could get no closer than eight the rest of the way.

Clarke finished with five monster dunks, five blocks, and matched a career-high with 36 points. He was 15-for-18 from the field. Clarke also had eight rebounds and two steals. He lifted his season blocks total to 110 — now good for best in the nation. Clarke broke Adam Morrison’s school record of 35 points in tournament play – against Xavier in 2006 across town at the Huntsman Center – and became just the third college player to reach 35 points and five blocks in an NCAA game. Shaquille O’Neal and David Robinson were the other two.

Florida State vs Gonzaga is not going to be a close one.

Zach Norvell Jr. turned in another solid defensive effort against a quality opposing guard. Norvell chased around Makai Mason’s, Baylor’s leading scorer, and limited the senior to 5-of-16 shooting, including 2 of 7 beyond the arc.

Coach Mark Few actually called Corey Kispert the Zags’ MVP vs. Baylor. The second-year wing hadn’t been GU’s second-leading scorer in a game all season, but he stepped up to make six shots total – four from 3-point range – to finish with 16 points. That was second to Clarke’s 36, and it matched the second-best game of the season for Kispert, who scored 17 points in a nonconference blowout of North Dakota State. The 35 minutes were also the second most Kispert played in a game this season, next to his 37 minutes against Tennessee.

It’s the fifth straight Sweet 16 trip for Gonzaga. The Zags own the longest active Sweet 16 streak in the country. The closest comparable runs – three in a row – belong to Kentucky, Michigan, and Purdue. Moreover, there are only 11 other streaks in tournament history as long or longer, though all but three come with asterisks, falling as they do before the bracket reached 64 teams.

Florida State vs Gonzaga 2019 March Madness Sweet 16 Betting Trends

  • Seminoles are 9-4 ATS in their last 13 games following a straight up win
  • Seminoles are 3-7-1 ATS in their last 11 non-conference games
  • Bulldogs are 5-1 ATS in their last 6 non-conference games
  • Bulldogs are 1-6-1 ATS in their last 8 vs. Atlantic Coast

Expert March Madness Betting Prediction

FSU 74 – Gonzaga 77

2019 March Madness Expert Betting News