The second round of the 2021 March Madness continues on Monday, March 22, so here’s the best betting pick for the East Region clash between the No. 5 Colorado Buffaloes and the No. 4 Florida State Seminoles at Indiana Farmers Coliseum in Indianapolis.
These rivals have never met before. According to PointsBet Sportsbook, the Florida State Seminoles are 1-point favorites to get a victory and advance to the Sweet 16, where they could face the winner of the meeting between Michigan and LSU.
The Buffaloes destroyed the Hoyas in the opening round
The Colorado Buffaloes were red-hot against the Georgetown Hoyas in the first round of the NCAA tournament and scored even 96 points in a big 96-73 victory. They were unstoppable from beyond the arc, making 16 of 25 shots, while they ended the game with 60.7% from the field and 15 assists more than the Hoyas (27-12).
Freshman forward Jabari Walker led Colorado with 24 points (9-10 FG, 5-5 3PT) and two blocks off the bench. D’Shawn Schwartz added 18 points and four assists, while McKinley Wright IV posted a double-double of 12 points and game-high 13 dimes, along with five rebounds.
It’s the 15th appearance in the Big Dance for the Buffaloes, and the first one since 2016 when they lost to Connecticut in the first round. They are trying to enter Sweet 16 for the first time since 1969.
This season, Colorado is the 108th team in college basketball when it comes to the offense as they average 73.8 points per game, while they are 28th on defense with 63.6 points allowed per contest. The Buffaloes are the best team in the country from the stripe (82.5%) and in the top 30 from downtown (37.8%), while they allow only 30.7 rebounds per game to the opponents (23rd).
Wright IV is Colorado’s top scorer this year with 15.4 ppg, while he also averages 5.8 apg, 4.4 rpg, and 1.0 spg. Jeriah Horne has 11.1 ppg and 5.8 rpg, while Evan Battey averages 10.0 ppg and 5.3 rpg.
The Seminoles didn’t have trouble beating the Spartans
The Florida State Seminoles secured a comfortable 64-54 win over the UNC Greensboro Spartans in the first round. They kept the Spartans to 31.7% from the floor and 25.9% from the perimeter, and managed to get a win despite failing to hit a triple on the other end (0-9).
Junior forward Raiquan Gray led Florida State with 17 points and seven rebounds. Balsa Koprivica added 13 points, game-high nine boards, and two blocks, while Anthony Polite ended the game with 12 points and four boards.
It’s the 18th appearance for the Seminoles in the NCAA Tournament and fourth in a row. They made it to Elite Eight in 2018, while in 2019, they lost to Gonzaga in the regional semifinal.
This year, Florida State has the 37th offense in the country that averages 78.3 points per game, while their defense is 160th as they allow 69.6 points per contest. The Seminoles are in the top 30 from the field (47.6%) and in the top 20 from beyond the arc (38.3%), while they let only 39.5% from the floor to the opponents (16th).
M.J. Walker is Florida State’s top scorer this time around with 12.5 ppg. Gray has 12.2 ppg, 6.6 rpg, and 1.3 spg, while Scottie Barnes is averaging 10.6 ppg, 4.3 rpg, 4.1 apg, and 1.4 spg.
Colorado:
- 5-2 ATS in their last seven games
- 7-1 SU in their previous eight games
Florida State:
- 1-4-1 ATS in their last six games
It’s going to be a close one, but after watching Colorado in the first round and their shooting display, I am leaning toward the Buffaloes here. Even though I don’t think they will have another fantastic performance from downtown, I am backing Colorado to get an edge and make it to the Sweet 16 for the first time since 1969.
The Pick: Colorado Buffaloes +1 (-110)
The Total
The total has gone Over in 12 of Florida State’s last 17 games, while that was the case in seven of Florida State’s previous ten games when playing as the favorite. I don’t expect that we have 160+ points like was the case in Colorado’s previous game, but these teams should combine for at least 140.
The Pick: Over 139 (-110)