The No. 13 Vermont Catamounts (27-6) clash against the No. 4 Florida State Seminoles (27-7) in the First Round of the NCAA Tournament at XL Center. The Catamounts opened as a 9-point underdog. The game’s Over/Under (O/U) has been set at 133.5 points and it is scheduled to start at 2 p.m. ET on Thursday, March 21, 2019.
Vermont Catamounts vs. Florida State Seminoles ATS Odds
In their last game, the Seminoles lost to the fifth-ranked Duke Blue Devils, 73-63, while the Catamounts beat the UMBC Retrievers, 66-49.
Vermont played a flawless game. They had a great offensive rebounding percentage of 32.4 (above their season average of 28.3) and a turnover percentage of 15.3 (worse than their season average of 14.5). UMBC recorded marks of 12.9 and 20.6, respectively, for those same stats. Florida State, on the other hand, had a better turnover percentage (14.6 vs. 16.8). Terance Mann played a pivotal role for Florida State with 12 points and eight rebounds. Meanwhile, Vermont was lifted by Anthony Lamb, who recorded 28 points and nine rebounds.
Just over half of the Catamounts’ games have finished over the projected point total. Vermont holds records of 27-6 straight up (SU) and 18-11-2 against the spread (ATS).
There does not appear to be a trend for Seminoles games in regards to the total, as there has been an even split between games finishing over and under. Further, Florida State is 27-7 SU and 16-18 ATS.
Baskets could be hard to come by as a pair of the NCAA’s best defenses face off. Florida State ranks 45th in defensive efficiency (97.0) and Vermont is 20th (95.0). Furthermore, the Catamounts are among the country’s elite at getting to the line, ranking 51st in free throw attempt (FTA) rate (0.273). The Seminoles, meanhwile, rank 284th in opponents’ FTA rate (0.262).
Vermont Catamounts vs. Florida State Seminoles ATS Pick
Basketball Prediction: SU Winner – Florida State, ATS Winner – Florida State, O/U – Under
Betting Notes:
- Vermont ranks 11th in rebounds allowed per game (30.6) while Florida State ranks 57th (32.7).
- The Catamounts are 48th in the country with 5.4 steals allowed per game while the Seminoles are 56th with 5.5 steals allowed per game.
- The Catamounts rank 48th in blocks allowed per game (2.7) while the Seminoles rank 79th (3.0).
- Florida State ranks 10th in assists allowed per game (10.1) while Vermont ranks 20th (10.5).
Bettings Trends:
- During their last five games, the Seminoles have scored an average of 67.0 points per game (7.9 below their season average) and allowed an average of 63.2 points per game (3.9 below their season average).
- The Catamounts’ average margin of victory in their last five games has been 17.8, up from 11.3 for the season.
