First Four betting preview: Fairleigh Dickinson vs. Florida Gulf Coast, Wichita State vs. Vanderbilt
Games to be played at University of Dayton Arena, Dayton, OH
Fairleigh Dickinson Knights vs Florida Gulf Coast Eagles (-5.5, 152)
FGCU returns to the NCAA Tournament for the first time since pulling off two huge upsets to reach the Sweet 16 three years ago as it faces Fairleigh Dickinson on Tuesday in the First Four at Dayton, Ohio. Florida Gulf Coast is back after winning the Atlantic Sun tournament while the Knights rebounded from a 2-6 start to win the Northeast Conference.
The Eagles, who shocked Georgetown and San Diego State in 2013 when the team was nicknamed “Dunk City,” has won at least 20 games in four consecutive seasons. Junior forward Marc Eddy Norelia leads FGCU in scoring (17.2) and rebounding (9.2) while shooting 53.9 percent from the field. Fairleigh Dickinson makes its fifth appearance in the NCAA Tournament and first since 2005 with the youngest team in the nation, made up of mostly freshmen and sophomores, which beat Wagner 87-79 in the NEC final. The winner of the matchup between No. 16 seeds will advance to play top-seeded North Carolina on Thursday in East Regional at Raleigh, N.C.
TV: 6:40 p.m. ET, truTV
LINE HISTORY: Florida Gulf Coast opened as 6-point favorites in the first game of the NCAA Tournament and have been bet down to -5.5. The total has been bet down a half point from 152.5 to 152.
INJURY REPORT: No injuries to report.
ABOUT FAIRLEIGH DICKINSON (18-14, 2-1 ATS, 2-1 O/U): The Knights, who were 8-21 in 2014-15, are averaging 80.5 points over the last four games and have won five in a row overall. Darian Anderson is averaging 15.4 points and fellow sophomore Earl Potts Jr. is next at 14.7 after the duo provided 28 and 27, respectively, in the NEC Championship game. Marques Townes (11.4) and Stephan Jiggetts (11.2) also average in double figures scoring for the Knights, who boast five players with at least 30 3-pointers and force 15.4 turnovers per game.
ABOUT FGCU (20-13, 3-3-1 ATS, 3-4 O/U): Norelia was one rebound shy of his fourth straight double-double last time out in the 80-78 overtime win over Stetson while sophomore Antravious Simmons stepped up with career highs of 21 points and 12 boards. Simmons is fifth on the team at 7.7 points per game and two others join Norelia in double figures – Christian Terrell (12.6) and Zach Johnson (11.2). The Eagles are also a young team with 84 percent of their points and 88 percent of their rebounds coming from underclassmen.
Trends:
* Fairleigh Dickinson is 1-6 ATS in its last seven neutral site games.
* Florida Gulf Coast is 12-1 ATS in its last 13 neutral site games.
* Under is 5-2 in Fairleigh Dickinson's last seven neutral site games.
* Under is 12-5-1 in Florida Gulf Coast's last 18 overall.
Wichita State Shockers vs. Vanderbilt Commodores (+3.5, 135)
Wichita State will make its fifth consecutive appearance in the NCAA Tournament when it takes on Vanderbilt in the First Four at Dayton, Ohio on Tuesday night. Wichita State struggled to a 5-5 start, due in part to injuries, and won 19 of 21 before losing to Northern Iowa in the Missouri Valley Conference semifinals while the Commodores earned their first bid since 2012.
The Shockers need to advance one step to reach 25 victories for the seventh straight season and will lean on senior guards Ron Baker and Fred VanVleet, a two-time MVC Player of the Year. Wichita State will be at a size disadvantage and must get strong play inside against Vanderbilt’s 7-0 center Damian Jones, who was named to the SEC’s first team while averaging 14.2 points and shooting almost 60 percent from the field. The Commodores impressed the committee with wins over Kentucky and Texas A&M along with a pair against fellow bubble team Florida. The winner of the game between the two 11 seeds will meet No. 6 seed Arizona on Thursday in Providence, R.I.
TV: 9:10 p.m. ET, truTV
LINE HISTORY: Wichita State opened as 3-point favorites and have been bet up to -3.5. The total has been bet up a half point from 134.5 to 135.
INJURY REPORT:
Wichita State - L. Shamet (out Tuesday, foot).
Vanderbilt - No injuries to report.
ABOUT WICHITA STATE (24-8, 18-12 ATS, 13-16-1 O/U): Baker is second all time in team history with 237 makes from 3-point range, but was held to 0-of-5 from behind the arc against Northern Iowa. Baker averages 14.2 points, while VanVleet is the only other player in double figures (12.0) after struggling to 3-of-15 from the field the last two games. Forward Anton Grady, a transfer from Cleveland State, picked up his production in the last four games while averaging 13.3 points and 5.5 rebounds, draining 20-of-30 from the field.
ABOUT VANDERBILT (19-13, 15-15 ATS, 15-14-1 O/U): The Commodores dropped their last two games, including a heartbreaker to Tennessee in the SEC tournament, after winning four in a row. Jones has been in double figures nine straight games and grabs 6.9 rebounds per contest – second on the team behind Luke Kornet (7.2). Wade Baldwin IV tops the team in scoring (14.3) despite struggling from the field (15-of-46) the last four games and backcourt partner Matthew Fisher-Davis (9.9) has drained 45.7 percent of his 3-point attempts.
Trends:
* Wichita State is 1-10 ATS in its last 11 neutral site games.
* Vanderbilt is 1-4 ATS in its last five NCAA Tournament games.
* Over is 4-0 in Wichita State's last four NCAA Tournament games.
* Over is 8-2 in Vanderbilt's last 10 overall.
Games to be played at University of Dayton Arena, Dayton, OH
Fairleigh Dickinson Knights vs Florida Gulf Coast Eagles (-5.5, 152)
FGCU returns to the NCAA Tournament for the first time since pulling off two huge upsets to reach the Sweet 16 three years ago as it faces Fairleigh Dickinson on Tuesday in the First Four at Dayton, Ohio. Florida Gulf Coast is back after winning the Atlantic Sun tournament while the Knights rebounded from a 2-6 start to win the Northeast Conference.
The Eagles, who shocked Georgetown and San Diego State in 2013 when the team was nicknamed “Dunk City,” has won at least 20 games in four consecutive seasons. Junior forward Marc Eddy Norelia leads FGCU in scoring (17.2) and rebounding (9.2) while shooting 53.9 percent from the field. Fairleigh Dickinson makes its fifth appearance in the NCAA Tournament and first since 2005 with the youngest team in the nation, made up of mostly freshmen and sophomores, which beat Wagner 87-79 in the NEC final. The winner of the matchup between No. 16 seeds will advance to play top-seeded North Carolina on Thursday in East Regional at Raleigh, N.C.
TV: 6:40 p.m. ET, truTV
LINE HISTORY: Florida Gulf Coast opened as 6-point favorites in the first game of the NCAA Tournament and have been bet down to -5.5. The total has been bet down a half point from 152.5 to 152.
INJURY REPORT: No injuries to report.
ABOUT FAIRLEIGH DICKINSON (18-14, 2-1 ATS, 2-1 O/U): The Knights, who were 8-21 in 2014-15, are averaging 80.5 points over the last four games and have won five in a row overall. Darian Anderson is averaging 15.4 points and fellow sophomore Earl Potts Jr. is next at 14.7 after the duo provided 28 and 27, respectively, in the NEC Championship game. Marques Townes (11.4) and Stephan Jiggetts (11.2) also average in double figures scoring for the Knights, who boast five players with at least 30 3-pointers and force 15.4 turnovers per game.
ABOUT FGCU (20-13, 3-3-1 ATS, 3-4 O/U): Norelia was one rebound shy of his fourth straight double-double last time out in the 80-78 overtime win over Stetson while sophomore Antravious Simmons stepped up with career highs of 21 points and 12 boards. Simmons is fifth on the team at 7.7 points per game and two others join Norelia in double figures – Christian Terrell (12.6) and Zach Johnson (11.2). The Eagles are also a young team with 84 percent of their points and 88 percent of their rebounds coming from underclassmen.
Trends:
* Fairleigh Dickinson is 1-6 ATS in its last seven neutral site games.
* Florida Gulf Coast is 12-1 ATS in its last 13 neutral site games.
* Under is 5-2 in Fairleigh Dickinson's last seven neutral site games.
* Under is 12-5-1 in Florida Gulf Coast's last 18 overall.
Wichita State Shockers vs. Vanderbilt Commodores (+3.5, 135)
Wichita State will make its fifth consecutive appearance in the NCAA Tournament when it takes on Vanderbilt in the First Four at Dayton, Ohio on Tuesday night. Wichita State struggled to a 5-5 start, due in part to injuries, and won 19 of 21 before losing to Northern Iowa in the Missouri Valley Conference semifinals while the Commodores earned their first bid since 2012.
The Shockers need to advance one step to reach 25 victories for the seventh straight season and will lean on senior guards Ron Baker and Fred VanVleet, a two-time MVC Player of the Year. Wichita State will be at a size disadvantage and must get strong play inside against Vanderbilt’s 7-0 center Damian Jones, who was named to the SEC’s first team while averaging 14.2 points and shooting almost 60 percent from the field. The Commodores impressed the committee with wins over Kentucky and Texas A&M along with a pair against fellow bubble team Florida. The winner of the game between the two 11 seeds will meet No. 6 seed Arizona on Thursday in Providence, R.I.
TV: 9:10 p.m. ET, truTV
LINE HISTORY: Wichita State opened as 3-point favorites and have been bet up to -3.5. The total has been bet up a half point from 134.5 to 135.
INJURY REPORT:
Wichita State - L. Shamet (out Tuesday, foot).
Vanderbilt - No injuries to report.
ABOUT WICHITA STATE (24-8, 18-12 ATS, 13-16-1 O/U): Baker is second all time in team history with 237 makes from 3-point range, but was held to 0-of-5 from behind the arc against Northern Iowa. Baker averages 14.2 points, while VanVleet is the only other player in double figures (12.0) after struggling to 3-of-15 from the field the last two games. Forward Anton Grady, a transfer from Cleveland State, picked up his production in the last four games while averaging 13.3 points and 5.5 rebounds, draining 20-of-30 from the field.
ABOUT VANDERBILT (19-13, 15-15 ATS, 15-14-1 O/U): The Commodores dropped their last two games, including a heartbreaker to Tennessee in the SEC tournament, after winning four in a row. Jones has been in double figures nine straight games and grabs 6.9 rebounds per contest – second on the team behind Luke Kornet (7.2). Wade Baldwin IV tops the team in scoring (14.3) despite struggling from the field (15-of-46) the last four games and backcourt partner Matthew Fisher-Davis (9.9) has drained 45.7 percent of his 3-point attempts.
Trends:
* Wichita State is 1-10 ATS in its last 11 neutral site games.
* Vanderbilt is 1-4 ATS in its last five NCAA Tournament games.
* Over is 4-0 in Wichita State's last four NCAA Tournament games.
* Over is 8-2 in Vanderbilt's last 10 overall.
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