Middle Tennessee State vs Minnesota 3/16/2017 Free NCAA Tournament Picks & Predictions
by Tony Sink - 3/13/2017
Thursday, March 16, 2017
BMO Harris Bradley Center
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The 12 seed Middle Tennessee Blue Raiders travel to BMO Harris Bradley Center to play the 5 seed Minnesota Golden Gophers on Thursday, March 16, 2017 in the NCAA Tournament. The opening line for this game has Minnesota as 1 point favorites.
The Blue Raiders come into this game with an overall record of 27-4. They are 23-10 against the spread and their over/under record is 10-19. The Golden Gophers have an overall record of 23-8. They have an over/under record of 17-12 and they are 19-12 against the spread.
Jacorey Williams comes into this contest averaging 17.3 points per game while playing 29.6 minutes per night so far this season for the Blue Raiders. He pulls down 7.3 rebounds per game and dishes out 1.5 assists per game as well. His field goal percentage is 54% while his free throw percentage is currently at 71%. Giddy Potts averages 15.8 points per game in 30.6 minutes per contest this season. He averages 1.9 assists per contest and 5.5 rebounds per game for Middle Tennessee State. His field goal percentage is 49% for the year while his free throw percentage is 81%.
Nate Mason averages 15.5 points per game while playing 34.4 minutes per contest this year for the Golden Gophers. He grabs 3.7 rebounds per game and has 5 assists per contest on the year. His field goal percentage is 38% and his free throw percentage currently is at 81%. Amir Coffey averages 12.1 points per game this season and he sees the court an average of 33 minutes per contest. He also averages 3.9 rebounds per contest and 3.1 assists per game. His field goal percentage is 45% and his free throw percentage is 75%.
Middle Tennessee State averages 75.0 points per contest this season which ranks them 129th in the nation. Their average scoring margin is 11.7 and their shooting percentage is 49% as a team which has them ranked 12th. Behind the arc they shoot 37% which is good for 89th in the country. They average 35.5 rebounds per game and 15.2 assists per game which ranks them 195th and 67th in those offensive categories. In the turnover department they rank 338th with 10.4 per game. The Blue Raiders allow 63.3 points per game to their opponents which ranks them 21st in the nation. They also allow a 42% shooting percentage and a 32% average from behind the arc ranking them 71st and 43rd in those defensive categories. Opponents average 30.5 rebounds a game which ranks 11th and they give up 10.9 assists per contest which puts them in 23rd place in the country. They force 13.5 turnovers per game which ranks them 203rd in Division 1.
Minnesota averages 75.3 points per game this year which ranks them 123rd in Division 1 college basketball. Their average scoring margin is 6.2 and their shooting percentage is 44% as a team which has them sitting in the 231st spot in the country. Behind the arc they shoot 35% which is good for 202nd in the nation. They average 39.9 rebounds per game and 14.9 assists per contest which ranks them 15th and 80th respectively. In the turnover department the Golden Gophers rank 296th with 11.7 per game. The Golden Gophers allow 69.1 points per game to their opponents which ranks them 97th in the country. They also allow a 40% shooting percentage and a 31% average from behind the arc ranking them 17th and 10th in those defensive statistics. Opponents average 38.6 rebounds a game which ranks 319th and they give up 13.4 assists per contest which puts them in 185th place in the nation. The Golden Gophers force 12.8 turnovers per game which ranks them 143rd in college basketball.
The Blue Raiders are 33rd in the nation in offensive rating at 112.5. They assist on 53.9% of their shots, which ranks 145th in the country. In terms of pace they average 66.4 possessions per 40 minutes, which places them 304th among D-1 teams. They are 40th in effective field goal percentage with 55%. As a team they are 58th in the country in true shooting percentage with 57% and they shoot 3 pointers on 30% of their shots. Middle Tennessee State turns the ball over an average of 13.8 times per 100 possessions and they get a steal on 10.3% of their opponents possessions. Their total rebound percentage of 53.8% places them 34th in Division 1 while their offensive rebound percentage is 30.7%.
The Golden Gophers are 168th in the nation in offensive rating at 104.5. They assist on 57% of their shots, which ranks 75th in the country. In terms of pace they average 70.4 possessions per 40 minutes, which places them 138th among D-1 teams. They are 272nd in effective field goal percentage with 49%. As a team they are 245th in the country in true shooting percentage with 53% and they shoot 3 pointers on 30% of their shots. Minnesota turns the ball over an average of 14.2 times per 100 possessions and they get a steal on 8% of their opponents possessions. Their total rebound percentage of 50.8% places them 150th in Division 1 while their offensive rebound percentage is 30.1%.
Middle Tennessee Blue Raiders Betting Trends
The Middle Tennessee Blue Raiders are 23-10 against the spread
The Middle Tennessee Blue Raiders are 10-19 against the over/under
Minnesota Golden Gophers Betting Trends
The Minnesota Golden Gophers are 19-12 against the spread
The Minnesota Golden Gophers are 17-12 against the over/under
Middle Tennessee Blue Raiders Injuries
No key injuries to report
Minnesota Golden Gophers Injuries
11/08/16 F Davonte Fitzgerald Knee out for season
03/11/17 G Akeem Springs Achilles out for season
Tony's Pick: Take Minnesota -1
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