The third round of the ACC tournament kicks off as Florida State faces North Carolina. It is time to continue our College Basketball odds series with a Florida State-North Carolina prediction, pick, and how-to-watch.
Florida State made it to this game with a win over Virginia Tech. It was a back and forth game for most of the game. With 7:02 left in the game, Virginia Tech had a one point lead. That is when Florida State went on an 11-0 lead to take control of the game. They would hold on to that ten point game for the remainder of the game, coming away with an 86-76 victory.
Meanwhile, North Carolina ended the season at 25-6 on the year, and 17-3 in conference play. That earned them the number-one seed in the ACC tournament and a double-bye. They finished the season winning six straight games, after a rough patch following their first win over Duke. After that first win over Duke, they would lose to Clemson and Syracuse, while beating Miami by just three. They would also close the year with a big win, beating Duke for a second time, this time on the road, by five points. This will be the third time these two teams have faced. North Carolina won the first match-up by eight on the road, and the second by seven at home.
Here are the college basketball odds, courtesy of FanDuel.
College Basketball Odds: Florida State-North Carolina Odds
Florida State: +9.5 (-102)
Moneyline: +390
North Carolina: -9.5 (-120)
Moneyline: -530
Over: 153.5 (-115)
Under: 153.5 (-105)
How to Watch Florida State vs. North Carolina
Time: 12:00 PM ET/ 9:00 AM PT
TV: ESPN
Stream: fuboTV (Click for free trial)
Why Florida State Will Cover The Spread/Win
Florida State is ranked 82nd in the nation in KenPom's adjusted efficiency rankings. They are 102nd in adjusted offensive efficiency while sitting 71st in adjusted defensive efficiency. Florida State is 75th in the nation in points per game this year while sitting 199th in the nation in effective field goal percentage this year. Jamir Watkins leads the team in scoring. He comes into the game with 15.1 points per game this year. He had a huge game against Virginia Tech, scoring 34 points in the gaem. Meanwhile, Darin Green Jr. comes in with 11.8 points per game this year. Primo Spears rounds out the top scoring options with 10.3 points per game this year while shooting just 37.5 percent. He added ten points in the gasme with Virginia Tech.
Florida State is 249th in the nation in rebounds per game this year, while sitting 325th in the nation in defensive rebounding percentage. Watkins leads the way here too. He comes in with 5.9 rebounds per game this year. He had 11 rebounds in the game with Virginia Tech. Meanwhile, Baba Miller comes in with five rebounds per game. Cam Corhen rounds out the top rebounders as he has four rebounds per game.
Florida State is 272nd in the nation in opponent points per game this year, while sitting 257th in the nation in opponent effective field goal percentage. Jamir Watkins comes in with 1.8 steals per game, while also having .8 blocks per game this year. He was great on defense in the game with Virginia Tech too, having four steals. Meanwhile, Darin Green Jr has 1.5 rebounds per game. Further, two other players have a steal per game. Also, Baba Miller comes in with 1.1 blocks per game while having .9 steals per game this year.
Why North Carolina Will Cover The Spread/Win
North Carolina is eighth according to KenPom's adjusted efficiency rankings this year. They are sitting 26th on the offensive side of things while sitting fifth on the defensive side of things. They have done all of this while facing the 18th hardest schedule in the nation according to KenPom. North Carolina is 19th in the nation in points per game. They are led by RJ Davis. While Davis shoots just 43.2 percent from the field, he is a solid three-point shooter, hitting 41.6 percent of his threes. That has led to him scoring 21.1 points per game this year to lead the team. He also helps the offense with his 3.5 assists this year.
Armando Bacot is also scoring well. He comes into the game with 13.9 points per game, and he is shooting 54.0 percent from the field this year. Joining him in scoring well is Harrison Ingram. He comes in with 12.5 points per game this year. Further, North Carolina has Cormac Ryan who comes in with 11.5 points per game.
The rebounding game is great for North Carolina. They are fifth in the nation in rebounds per game this year, while sitting 63rd in the nation in offensive rebounding rate, and fourth in defensive rebounding rate. Bacot and Ingram lead the way here too. Bacot comes in with 10.1 rebounds per game this year, while Ingram comes in with 9.3 rebounds per game this year. Meanwhile, both of them have over two offensive rebounds per game this year.
On defense, North Carolina ranks 1o4th in the nation in points against this year but sits 12th in opponent effective field goal percentage this year. Bacot is a disruptive force here too, coming in with 1.6 blocks per game this year. Meanwhile, both Harrison Ingram comes in with 1.5 steals per game this year. Further, RJ Davis has 1.2 steals per game this year.
Final Florida State-North Carolina Prediction & Pick
North Carolina has been dominant this year in ACC play for the most part. Still, they have covered just four times in their last nine games overall. Florida State is in a similar position though. They have covered just four times in their last nine as well. They went 1-1 against the spread against North Carolina. Still, North Carolina is going for a top seed in the NCAA tournament, and cannot afford a slip up. They have been one of the best teams all year, and that does not change in this one.
Click here for more betting news and predictions
Final Florida State-North Carolina Prediction & Pick: North Carolina -9.5 (-120)
Follow Us
Subscribe