Norfolk State Spartans vs Florida Gators Prediction, 3/21/2025 College Basketball Picks, Best Bets & Odds

Game: Norfolk State Spartans vs Florida Gators

Date: Friday, March 21, 2025

Location: Lenovo Center in Raleigh, NC

TV: TNT

Odds/Point Spread: Norfolk State (+28)

Lenovo Center is the location where the Florida Gators (30-4) will meet the Norfolk State Spartans (24-10) on Friday in the 1st round of the NCAA Tournament. Florida is 28-point favorites. The over/under has been set at 153.

The Norfolk State Spartans stepped onto the hardwood against South Carolina State and took home the win by a score of 66-65 in their last game. Norfolk State finished with a 41.7% FG percentage (20 out of 48) and converted 3 of their 9 three-point attempts. At the charity stripe, the Spartans converted 23 of 34 shots for a rate of 67.6%. In the matter of grabbing rebounds, they compiled 30 with 10 of them being on the offensive end. They also doled out 13 dimes for the game as well as forcing 15 turnovers and getting 8 steals. In relation to the defense, Norfolk State let their opponent shoot 37.1% from the floor on 23 of 62 shooting. South Carolina State recorded 16 assists and had 9 steals for the game. On top of that, South Carolina State collected 31 boards (13 offensive, 18 defensive), but wasn't able to put a block in the stat sheet. South Carolina State went 75.0% at the free throw line by making 9 of their 12 shots. They also knocked down 10 of 27 shots from beyond the arc. With respect to fouls, the Spartans ended up finishing with 11 while South Carolina State finished the game with 22 fouls.

Christian Ings is a guy who was a major factor in the matchup. He ended up scoring 16 points on 4 of 11 shooting. He played for 36 minutes and also pulled down 7 rebounds. He shot 36.4% from the floor and also totaled 4 dimes.

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Norfolk State heads into this one with a mark of 24-10 this season. They turn the ball over 12.4 times per contest and as a team they commit 17.6 fouls on a nightly basis. As a unit, Norfolk State is collecting 34.7 rebounds per contest and is sitting with 473 assists on the year, which ranks 115th in Division 1 in terms of passing the ball. The Spartans are shooting 33.1% on 3-point shots (183 of 553) and 75.6% from the charity stripe. They are averaging 77.3 points per outing (88th in the nation) while hitting 48.9% from the floor.

On defense, the Spartans are able to force 13.2 turnovers per game while drawing 18.1 fouls. They concede 33.5% on 3-point shots while they are 87th in D-1 in PPG allowed (69.0). The Spartans are allowing an opponent FG percentage of 41.3% (801 of 1,939) and they surrender 32.3 boards per game as a squad. They rank 278th in college in giving up assists to their opponents with 465 surrendered on the year.

For their last game, the Florida Gators got the win with a final of 86-77 against Tennessee. The Gators were able to collect 22 defensive rebounds and 11 offensive rebounds totaling 33 in the game. They also turned the ball over 7 times, while earning 6 steals for this contest. Tennessee had 21 fouls in this contest which got the Gators to the charity stripe for a total of 28 attempts. They were able to make 25 of those for a rate of 89.3%. With regard to shooting from beyond the arc, Florida converted 9 of their 27 attempts (33.3%). When the final whistle blew, the Gators walked away from this one shooting 26 out of 61 from the field which gave them a percentage of 42.6%. The Gators allowed Tennessee to make 22 of their 49 tries from the floor which gave them a percentage of 44.9% in this contest. They went 30.8% from distance by connecting on 8 of 26 and finished the contest at 25 out of 32 at the free throw line (78.1%). In reference to how they attacked the glass, Florida permitted Tennessee to pull down 21 in total (4 on the offensive side).

Walter Clayton Jr. was important for the Gators in the game. He earned 22 points in his 36 minutes of playing time and accumulated 2 dimes in this game. He made 7 of 18 in this matchup for a field goal percentage of 38.9%, and had 5 rebounds.

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Florida has a record of 30-4 so far this year. In terms of offensive execution, the Gators are shooting 47.3% from the floor, which ranks them 50th in the nation. Florida has accounted for 2,904 pts on the campaign (85.4 per contest) and they collect 42.0 boards per game. They are earning an assist 15.9 times per contest (49th in college) and they cough up possession 10.6 times per game. The Gators commit 17.2 fouls per game and they shoot 71.8% from the charity stripe.

The Florida defense concedes 29.6% on three-point shots (228 of 770) and their opposition knocks down 70.7% of their free throw attempts. They have surrendered 11.2 dimes and 33.8 rebounds every game, which is 33rd and 146th in college hoops. The Gators are ranked 93rd in D-1 in PPG given up with 69.2. They are able to force 12.1 TO's every game and have let teams shoot 39.8% from the floor (14th in college).

Who will win tonight's NCAA game against the spread?

Josh Schonwald's Pick: Take Norfolk State (+28)

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