The 2020-21 college basketball season continues Wednesday, December 9, with the ACC/Big Ten Challenge at Donald L. Tucker Center in Tallahassee, Florida, as the Florida State Seminoles host the Indiana Hoosiers.
The Seminoles are winless in their five matchups with the Hoosiers. Last season, the Hoosiers easily outlasted the Seminoles 80-64 and will look to extend their dominance Wednesday on the road, so here’s my best betting pick for the marquee showdown between Indiana and Florida State.
The Hoosiers look for another win away from home
The Indiana Hoosiers played their previous three contests at the neutral site, going 2-1 straight up in that span. After a 79-58 victory over Providence and a 66-44 defeat to Texas, the Hoosiers beat Stanford 79-63 this past Wednesday.
Indiana is 3-1 on the season and ranks 19th in the latest KenPom rankings. The Hoosiers score 107.9 points per 100 possessions (37th in the country) and surrender 87.6 in a return (13th) while averaging 71.0 possessions per 40 minutes (229th).
Sophomore Trayce Jackson-Davis leads the way for Indiana with 21.5 points and 7.0 rebounds per game, while senior guard Al Durham averages 12.0 points, 4.7 rebounds, and 3.0 assists per game. However, Durham suffered an ankle injury against Texas and will miss some time including Wednesday’s clash against Florida State.
The Seminoles thrashed off North Florida in the opener
The Florida State Seminoles played just one game this season, easily outlasting the North Florida Ospreys 86-58 on the home court. They shot only 29.2% from beyond the arc, but the Seminoles’ defense was too much for the Ospreys, forcing a whopping 24 turnovers.
Senior guard M.J. Walker had 17 points and four rebounds, making three of his five attempts from deep. Sophomore center Balsa Koprivica tallied 13 points and five rebounds, while freshman wing Scottie Barnes added eight points, six boards, and six assists.
Last season, the Seminoles went 26-5 overall and 16-4 in the conference play to win the ACC regular-season championship. They were No. 10 in the NCAA NET Rankings and No. 15 in the final KenPom rankings.
Trends:
Indiana:
- 3-7 ATS in the last ten games on the road
- 2-6 ATS in the last eight road games as underdogs
Florida State:
- 18-14 ATS in the last 32 games overall
[metabet_core_odds_compare query=”ncaab/florida_state” size=”300×250″ site_id=”atsio” css=”float:right; margin-left:10px”]The Winner Prediction
The Seminoles were perfect on the home court last season, winning all their 16 games at Donald L. Tucker Center. They will be fired up to get revenge and beat the Hoosiers for the first time, so I’m backing the hosts to win and cover.
The Hoosiers will miss Al Durham a lot. They could easily struggle to cope with the Seminoles’ aggressive defense and will certainly have problems to slow down the tempo without Durham.
The Seminoles, on the other side, will look to dominate this clash physically. They still have to pick up the pieces on the offensive end, but the Seminoles’ stout D will be a key factor in this one.
Pick: Take Florida State -3
The Total:
Although the Seminoles lean on their defense, the over is 19-13 in their last 32 games overall. Florida State prefers to play at a fast pace, while the Hoosiers like to slow down things. The under is 6-3-1 in Indiana’s previous ten showings on the road.
I’m backing the under, looking for the Seminoles’ defense to shut down the Hoosiers who will miss one of their best players. Indiana will try its best to put on a strong defensive performance, too, as that seems like the only way to stay close in this game.
Pick: Go under 139.5