Minnesota vs. Florida State Betting Line, NIT Prediction, Trends

A battle of No. 1 seeds will take place in the late game of the NIT semifinals in New York City on Tuesday, with the Minnesota Golden Gophers facing the Florida State Seminoles.

The Seminoles have covered nine of their last 12 on neutral courts, while the Gophers are mired in a 1-5 against-the-spread slide at a neutral site.

Spread and total points scored betting line

The Golden Gophers opened as 1.5-point underdogs while the total was 137. (Compare lines and consensus on the Odds Shark matchup report.)

Odds Shark computer pick

68.5-67.6, Seminoles

Why pick Minnesota to cover the spread

The coaching pedigree is hard to argue against in this one, as coach Richard Pitino will try to do what his legendary father could not do, and that’s get into a title game.

While dad’s Louisville Cardinals are done for the season, junior’s Gophers continue their somewhat surprising run in Pitino’s first year as head coach.

Why pick Florida State to cover the spread

The Seminoles have shown us three different teams in going 3-0 (1-1-1 ATS) in this event. They opened with a slow-paced, 58-53 win over Florida Gulf Coast, showing us patience and the wherewithal to win.

Then it was an uptempo, 101-90 victory over Georgetown that revealed scoring prowess. Finally, a well-balanced, hard-fought 78-75 win over Louisiana Tech told us FSU can be a methodical team. Being able to adjust to an opponent gives this team an edge.

Smart betting pick

This is a rematch from earlier this season, as the Golden Gophers knocked off Florida State 71-61 back on Dec. 3. Both teams have gotten better, and are much more seasoned after rigorous conference schedules.

Given how well the Big Ten has performed across the board, it’s hard to overlook Minnesota. The play here is on the Golden Gophers to advance to the NIT final.

Power rankings (per Odds Shark power ranks)

Minnesota Golden Gophers: No. 248

Florida State Seminoles: No. 238 

March Madness betting trends

• Minnesota is 4-2 ATS in its last six games
• Florida State is 6-0 SU, 4-1-1 ATS in its past six games

Note: All spread and betting line data powered by Odds Shark—download the free Lines and Bet Tracker app in the Apple Store and on Google Play.