Florida State Seminoles (9-20) vs North Carolina Tar Heels (18-11)
Game Info: Monday, February 27, 2023 at 7:00 pm (Donald L. Tucker Center)
Betting Odds: Florida State Seminoles +8.5 -- Over/Under: 152 Click Here for the Latest Odds
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The North Carolina Tar Heels will head down to Tallahassee to take on the Florida State Seminoles in ACC play from the Tucker Center on ESPN. UNC leads the all-time series, 52-16, but they’ve split the last four meetings.
North Carolina moved to 18-11 after defeating Virginia in Chapel Hill. The Tar Heels overwhelmed the Cavs early, and they picked up an eight-point victory, 71-63. UNC is scoring 78.5 points per game, while allowing 71.7 ppg, and shooting 44.8% from the floor.
North Carolina’s win in the South’s Oldest Rivalry truly may have saved their season, and they have to avoid a letdown here in Tallahassee. The Tar Heels are 10-8 in ACC play, with a 3-7 road record. Veteran big Armando Bacot has posted six double-doubles in the last eight games, and he leads UNC in scoring (17.0) and rebounding (10.9). Caleb Love and RJ Davis were one of the top backcourt duos in the nation last season. Love has scored 20 points or more in four of the last six games, but his shot selection continues to be alarming. Love scores 16.9 ppg, while Davis averages 15.7 ppg and 5.1 rpg.
Florida State fell to 8-20 following a home loss to Boston College. The Seminoles nearly rallied back after a double digit halftime deficit, but they ended up losing to the Eagles by six, 75-69. FSU scores 69.6 points per game, while allowing 76.3 ppg, and shooting 43.4% from the field.
Florida State shocked the world Saturday with a memorable comeback win over the Canes, and it will be very interesting to see how they respond in their home finale. The Seminoles are 7-11 in ACC play, with a 5-10 home record. Leader scorer and rebounder Matthew Cleveland returned in the win over Miami, and he truly made all of the difference. The 6’7 sophomore scored 20 points, and hit the game-winning jumper to beat the Canes to bring his season averages to 14.3 ppg and 7.7 rpg. Junior guard Caleb Mills went for a season high 27 points in the win over BC, and he’s averaging 13.0 ppg and a team-lead 3.6 apg.
North Carolina is 8-17-2 against the spread this season, with a 12-15 over/under record. Florida State is 11-17 ATS this year, with a 16-11-1 o/u record.
This contest will put an ounce of pressure on both schools for different reasons. Florida State enters this one on the heels of one of their biggest wins in school history, and there’s a chance they rally around their longtime coach Leonard Hamilton once again with another job-saving effort. North Carolina’s win over UVA kept their tournament hopes alive, and they will enter Tallahassee with the sense of urgency to stay alive. As a Duke fan, I’d love to see this group miss the Big Dance and exit with a trip to the Not-Invited Tournament, but I think Carolina shows up here. This is a veteran team capable of winning big games, and with their backs against the wall, I think we’ll see them keep their tourney hopes alive with a strong 40 minutes. UNC should win this game closely, but take FSU’s spread for this ACC clash.
Corey’s Pick Florida STate +8.5
AUTHOR: Corey Ghee
Mitch's Take...
