March Madness Sweet 16: #9 Florida State Seminoles at #4 Gonzaga Bulldogs
Seminoles Are a Real Threat to the Bulldogs
Our final Sweet 16 game for Thursday, March 22 offers the #9 Florida State Seminoles (22-11) at the #4 Gonzaga Bulldogs (32-4). The West Region matchup will tip off at 10:07 p.m. at the Staples in Los Angeles, CA. Our Florida State plays Gonzaga 2018 NCAA Tournament Sweet 16 pick has the Bulldogs favored by six points and the over/under at a whopping 153.5. Please remember that along with picking the spread and totals on all of today’s NCAA Tournament games, we’ll do the same for all of the remaining games in the tourney. In this article, you’ll find our projection for both the spread and over/under.
Recent History
The Seminoles finished eighth in the ACC and in the conference tourney lost to the St. Louis Cardinals 82-74. In the NCAA Tournament, they played the #8 Missouri Tigers, beating them 67-54. They then met the #1 Xavier Musketeers. Florida State beat Xavier in that game 75-70.
The Bulldogs have been hot, taking the regular-season WCC crown and the conference tournament. In that competition, they beat BYU 74-54 to win the crown. In the first round of the Big Dance, Gonzaga had a tough time with the #13 UNC Greensboro Spartans. Then beat the Spartans 68-64. In round two, the Bulldogs beat the #5 Ohio State Buckeyes 90-84.
Basic Stats and Facts
Statistically, these two teams are fairly close. Gonzaga is scoring on average 84.2 PPG while Florida State is putting up 81.1 PPG. The Bulldogs are good on 50% of their shots from the field and 37% of their threes; the ‘Noles have been connecting on 47% of the field goals and 35% of their shots from beyond the arc. They are also close on free throw percentage with Gonzaga hitting 71% and FSU 69%. The Seminoles have allowed just 62 PPG while the Bulldogs have given up 74 PPG.
Players to Watch
Florida State has two seniors and a junior who are each good for approximately 12.5 PPG. Senior forward Phil Cofer is averaging 12.9 PPG and grabbing 5.0 RPG, while senior guard Braian Angola is scoring 12.8 PPG and taking in 3.9 RPG. Finally, junior forward Terance Mann is averaging 5.5 RPG and 12.7 PPG.
The Bulldogs have five players who are averaging double-digits in scoring with averaging ranging from 11 PPG to just over 13 PPG. Senior forward Johnathan Williams takes control of the paint. He’s good for 8.4 RPG and 13.6 PPG. Junior guard Josh Perkins is a top playmaker, averaging 5.3 APG and 12.4 PPG.
Our Florida State Plays Gonzaga 2018 NCAA Tournament Sweet 16 Pick
Gonzaga will have to play very well to ensure a victory over a very tough Seminoles team. We do expect the Bulldogs to come through tonight, but we don’t expect them to cover. Our Florida State plays Gonzaga 2018 NCAA Tournament Sweet 16 pick is the Seminoles at +6.0. we are going with the high over, which is 153.5.
Seminoles and Bulldogs Pick Summary: FSU at +6.0 and over 153.5
