No. 4 Florida vs. No. 13 East Tennessee State Preview
Where: Amway Center— Orlando, Florida
When: Thursday, March 16, 2017, 3:10 PM ET
Line: Florida Gators (-10.5) vs. East Tennessee State Buccaneers (+10.5); total: 147.5 – view all NCAA Basketball lines
TV Broadcast: truTV
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Betting on the Florida Gators (-10.5)
The Gators are going to win this game as long as their dynamic backcourt tandem of Kasey Hill and Chris Chiozza do what they do best—penetrate and create opportunities for teammates.
Hill only racks up 9.8 points this season and still needs to polish his outside shot, but he’s able to compensate for those through his wide court vision and decision-making skills. The senior guard leads the team in assists with 4.6 per game, while Chiozza trails him with 3.7 dimes per contest.
Florida, which is making its first NCAA Tournament appearance under Mike White’s tutelage, also has a rising star in sophomore KeVaughn Allen, who averages 13.9 points and shoots 39.9 percent from three-point range, both career-highs.
The Gators are a worthy +3,000 sleeper pick to win the national championship this year.
Betting on the East Tennessee State Buccaneers (+10.5)
East Tennessee State (+100,000) rejoins March Madness for the first time since its campaign in 2010, when it took a massive beatdown from Kentucky in the opening round. The same fate could await them here, but this current Bucs team is relatively much tougher to slay.
They carry a deep offense that collects around 80 points per game, including seven players who each average at least seven points on 34 minutes per game this season. T.J. Cromer and Desonta Bradford are the team’s main go-to-options.
Cromer puts up 19.0 points per contest and has finished with 25 or more points six times. He’s also very lethal from three, where the senior guard is shooting 40.4 percent. Bradford, meanwhile, contributes 10.6 points a game can get hot from down town, too.
The Bucs’ vulnerability to errors will lead to their demise, though. They commit 14.9 turnovers per outing, which is among the highest nationally.
Writer’s Prediction
Florida (-10.5) easily wins and covers.
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