FGCU Advances to Sweet 16, Highlighting South Region Action on Sunday
It was one of the biggest upsets in college basketball history; Florida Gulf Coast University is officially the first 15 seed to ever make it to the Sweet 16. The San Diego State Aztecs were 7.5-point favorites heading into the match, but, like Georgetown, they were completely overwhelmed by the fast-paced offense of FGCU and the high-flying dunk attacks on the team’s fast breaks. However, they also got it done with ruthless efficiency, not just athleticism; the Gulf Coast Eagles shot a blazing 56 percent from the floor while holding San Diego State to 44 percent.
FGCU will now advance to take on Florida in the Sweet 16, and after their dominant displays against both Georgetown and the Aztecs, who’s to say the Eagles can’t conquer their significantly bigger in-state rivals? One thing is for certain: the Florida Gulf Coast Eagles join George Mason in the upper echelon of the most shocking and amazing stories in college basketball ever. Here were a few more betting trends for both teams, courtesy of OddsShark.com:
A few Eagles at Aztecs trends to consider:
The total has gone UNDER in 5 of San Diego State’s last 6 games
San Diego State is 2-5 ATS in its last 7 games
Florida Defeats Minnesota 78-64
The Florida Gators were 7.5-point favorites against the Minnesota Golden Gophers, and unlike San Diego State, they put the pedal down and easily finished off a team that they should’ve. They got it done with incredibly efficient offense, shooting an astonishing 65 percent from the floor in the first half and finishing the game shooting 57 percent. They also got to the line in bunches, knocking down 26 of 36 free throw attempts. The Gophers stayed in the game, and were within single digit points in the final ten minutes of play. However, they couldn’t score when they needed to after Andre Hollins was benched with four fouls, and they were simply overwhelmed by the Gators offensive efficiency and athleticism. Here were some other gambling trends for both teams per OddsShark.com:
A few Golden Gophers at Gators trends to consider:
The total has gone UNDER in 9 of Florida’s last 10 games
Florida is 19-5 SU in its last 24 games
Florida is 3-7 ATS in its last 10 games
Kansas Defeats North Carolina 70-58
The Jayhawks started about as sluggishly as any team of their caliber could, not getting back on D in time and turning the ball over at a disturbing clip. The Jayhawks even trailed the Tar Heels by nine points entering the half. “We played miserably the first half and they took us out of everything,” said Kansas coach Bill Self. “The second half, we played really, really well.”
The Jayhawks came out in the second half and slowed down the tempo of the game, pounding it inside with seven-footer Jeff Withey, who finished the day with 16 points and 16 rebounds. Kansas was 6.5-point favorites, and while it looked like a dicey proposition for the entire first half, they emphatically illustrated in the second period of play why they were a no. 1 seed in the tournament.
“We benefited from the game being played in Kansas City, no doubt about it,” Self said. “The first half, we didn’t utilize the benefit at all. I thought in the second half, we did.”
Here were some other betting trends heading into the game, per OddsShark.com:
A few Tar Heels at Jayhawks trends to consider:
Kansas is 11-1 SU in its last 12 games
