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Robert Jones, Norfolk State HC, rejects 28.5 point spread vs. Florida: ‘Are we that bad?’
By Ethan Stone
Published:
Robert Jones and the Norfolk State Spartans are listed as -28.5 underdogs against No. 1 Florida, according to some of the top Florida sports betting apps. For a 16/1-seed matchup, that seems like a fair opening line.
But Jones takes offense to that line from DraftKings, FanDuel, etc. On Thursday Jones told reporters that he’s angry his team is a 28.5 underdog, but also admitted that him being angry isn’t the worst thing for his team’s chances. Jones asked reporters, “Are we that bad that the point spread is like that?”
Reporters in that room would have been justified telling Jones something around the lines of: “It’s not about Norfolk State, it’s about Florida.” The Gators have been the best team in the country across the past month, scoring wins over Alabama (x2), Texas A&M, Tennessee and Missouri. The Gators also won the SEC title during perhaps the best SEC basketball season ever.
And though Norfolk State is the 16-seed, they’ve got some fight in them. The Spartans are excellent within the 3-point arc and do a great job of drawing fouls to get to the free throw line. Defensively, it’s hard to imagine the Spartans’ group of guards keeping up with the likes of Walter Clayton, Will Richard and Alijah Martin.
The Gators and Spartans will face off at 6:50 p.m. ET from Raleigh, North Carolina on Friday.
Ethan Stone is a Tennessee graduate and loves all things college football and college basketball. Firm believer in fouling while up 3.
