The No.2-seeded Florida Gators play the No.3-seeded Ohio State Buckeyes in the second round of the NIT tournament at Value City Arena. The game begins at 12:00 pm ET on Sunday, Mar. 20 and can be seen on ESP and ES3.
The Buckeyes beat Akron 72-63 in the 1. JaQuan Lyle played a key role, recording his third double-double this season with 18 points and 14 rebounds. The Gators, meanwhile, are coming off a 97-68 win against North Florida in the 1. Chris Chiozza played well for Florida, registering 11 points, seven assists, and four steals.
Over the last five games, Marc Loving has been playing at a high level for the Buckeyes. During that stretch, he has averaged 19.4 points, 6.0 rebounds, 1.4 assists, 0.8 steals, and 2.0 three-pointers.
Points could be at a premium in this matchup between two of the nation’s best defenses. Ohio State ranks 29th in the nation in defensive efficiency (99.9), while Florida is 14th (98.4). Moreover, the Gators are among the nation’s elite on the offensive backboards, ranking 20th in OR% at 32.7%. But the Buckeyes rank 32nd at corralling defensive rebounds with a DR% of 71.1%.
The Buckeyes are hoping to build on their records of 21-13 Straight Up (SU) and 17-17 Against The Spread (ATS). Ohio State’s defense can be considered one of the best in the country. The Buckeyes allow a .402 opponent field-goal percentage, one of the lowest shooting rates in the country.
Across the court, the Gators have a record of 17-15-1 ATS and 20-14 SU. The Gators have one of the best opponent field-goal percentages in the nation at .410.
Predictions: SU Winner – Fla, ATS Winner – Fla
Notes
“Ohio State is 2-4 ATS in its last 6 games “.
“Ohio State is 7-3 SU in its last 10 games “.
“The total has gone OVER in 4 of Ohio State’s last 5 games when playing Florida”.
The Florida Gators have a defensive rating of 98.4 (ranked 14th), while the Ohio State Buckeyes have an offensive rating of 103.5 (ranked 220th).
Florida beats Ohio State in both possessions per game and points per possession. The Gators average 69.6 possessions and 1.068 points per possession, while the Buckeyes average 68.1 possessions with 1.035 points per possession.
The Florida Gators average an effective field goal percentage of 48.4% this season. The Ohio State Buckeyes have a subpar record of 3-9 when opponents have an eFG% of 48.4% or greater.
Ohio State, the 17th-ranked team in blocked shots, registers an average of 5.3 per game. Florida ranks 66th with 4.4.
Ohio State ranks 163rd in offensive rebounds, while Florida ranks 60th in defensive rebounds.
Ohio State records 5.5 steals per game. Florida is 8-9 when giving up at least 5 steals.
