One of two first-round games taking place in the ASUN Tournament tonight, the #8-seed Bellarmine Knights (14-17, 9-9 ASUN) and the North Florida Ospreys (14-16, 9-9 ASUN) will exchange pleasantries yet again. These schools met on Friday night to wrap up their season, with North Florida leaving their home floor with a 12-point win.
Bellarmine had won three of four before that loss to end their season. They hovered around .500 in ASUN play for the duration of their conference schedule. The Knights are ineligible for the NCAA Tournament as a transitional team.
North Florida won six of their last eight to earn their trip to the ASUN Tournament. The winning was nice, but most of their success this season, 11 of their 14 wins, came at home. They won’t play another game on their home floor this season.
Neither school has played a game on a neutral court yet this season. Let’s see how their first one goes when it’s win or go home between the Bellarmine Knights and North Florida Ospreys tonight.
Bellarmine vs. North Florida Betting Odds
| Team | Spread | Total | Money Line |
| Bellarmine | +3.0 (-110) | Over 140.0 (-110) | +130 |
| North Florida | -3.0 (-110) | Under 140.0 (-110) | -150 |
Bellarmine vs. North Florida Match Details
Fixture: Bellarmine Knights @ North Florida Ospreys
Date and Time: Monday, February 27, 2023, 7:00 p.m. EST
Venue: Liberty Arena
Bellarmine vs. North Florida Key Stats
North Florida ran away with Friday night’s game by dominating the glass. The Ospreys pulled down 34 rebounds while holding the Knights to only 21 boards. The Ospreys also went 12/24 from three-point range.
These teams shot at similar clips this season. Bellarmine shot 45.6% from the field and 35.5% on threes. North Florida shot 45.4% from the floor and knocked down 36.3% of their shots from deep. North Florida plays at a much faster pace, so they put up 10 more points a night.
Defensively, the Ospreys struggle to force misses. Their opponents hit 46.2% of their shots, a number that’s ranked 316th in the nation. On three-pointers, foes shot 35.5% on them this season. They get the fewest steal per game in the conference, 4.9, but the second-most blocks, 3.9.
Bellarmine held opposing teams to 43.9% shooting and 34.7% from three-point range. The Knights average the fewest blocks per game in the ASUN, 1.4.
Although North Florida controlled the glass on Friday, both teams usually get outrebounded. Bellarmine is 12th in the ASUN in rebounding margin, and North Florida is 13th.
Bellarmine vs. North Florida Betting Prediction
The Ospreys took over late in the second half on Friday night, but I don’t see a repeat performance. North Florida was miserable on the road this season, and while this isn’t a road game, I’m not sure if this is a team that can be trusted away from home.
The Bellarmine defense is much better than the North Florida defense, while the offenses are much more comparable. The Knights should also rebound much better than they did in the recent matchup. Behind a defensive performance much more in line with their season, I expect Bellarmine to win tonight.
