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The state rivalry will take place for the second time this season when NC State visits North Carolina in ACC play. North Carolina took a 67-54 win when they visited NC State on January 10th. It is time to continue our men's college basketball odds series with an NC State-North Carolina prediction, pick, and how-to-watch.
RJ Davis paced the Tar Heels to a 75-71 victory over Miami in their most recent game. Davis scored 42 points, breaking the scoring record at the Dean Smith Center, previously held by Tyler Hansbrough with 40 in 2006. It was also the most points a North Carolina player scored in regulation since 1970. Davis leads the ACC with 21.7 points per game and is the frontrunner for ACC Player of the Year. It was the third straight win for the Tar Heels.
NC State is in a battle to get into the March Madness field. They are 17-11 on the season but need more wins against superior opponents to improve their resume. NC State's February sent them down to eighth in the ACC standings, ending the month with a 90-83 loss at Florida State on Tuesday. The Wolfpack will need to improve on the defensive end if they want to make some noise in the conference tournament. DJ Horne leads NC State in scoring, averaging 17.5 points per game.
Here are the college basketball odds, courtesy of FanDuel.
College Basketball Odds: NC State-North Carolina Odds
NC State: +11.5 (-120)
Moneyline: +470
North Carolina: -11.5 (-102)
Moneyline: -670
Over: 152.5 (-110)
Under: 152.5 (-110)
How to Watch NC State vs. North Carolina
Time: 4 PM ET/1 PM PT
TV: ESPN
Stream: fuboTV (Click for free trial)
Why NC State Will Cover The Spread/Win
North Carolina is on top of the conference, but that doesn't mean they are doing well from a betting perspective. The Tar Heels have failed to cover the spread in five of their past eight games, including outright losses to Syracuse, Clemson, and Georgia Tech as six-plus-point favorites. North Carolina's last victory over Miami came by just four points as 15-point favorites and wouldn't have been possible without Davis' performance. The Tar Heels are beginning to struggle at a terrible time of year and need to get it together with a first-place battle against Duke looming.
NC State's offense has an opportunity to keep pace with the Tar Heels, as they are averaging 76.2 points per game. North Carolina allows 70.4 points per game and more than 70 in nine of their last ten games. The only meeting under 70 was against a Virginia team that barely managed 44 points. The Cavaliers can put forth poor offensive efforts, so that game isn't enough to believe in the Tar Heels defense.
Why North Carolina Will Cover The Spread/Win
North Carolina will need to get back on track, and the way to do it will be to lean on their offense. North Carolina averages 81.5 points per game, good enough for 27th in the country. The issue for NC State this season has been their defense, allowing 72.1 points per game. If North Carolina is going to cover the spread in this game, they will need to take advantage of the mismatch.
Final NC State-North Carolina Prediction & Pick
North Carolina is playing some of their worst basketball of the season despite winning three games in a row. The Tar Heels will likely pull it together, but it may not completely come back in this game due to NC State's offense. North Carolina should take the outright win in this game, as they need a victory to stay ahead of Duke in the ACC standings. However, expect NC State to keep it close and cover the spread.
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Final NC State-North Carolina Prediction & Pick: NC State +11.5 (-120)
