The NC State Wolfpack take on the Clemson Tigers. Check out our college basketball odds series for our NC State Clemson prediction and pick.

The Clemson Tigers have wins over Penn State and Wake Forest, which are decent victories, but neither the Nittany Lions nor the Demon Deacons are clear-cut NCAA Tournament teams. Meanwhile, Clemson has lost to Iowa, Loyola Chicago, and worst of all, South Carolina. That loss to the Gamecocks early in the season could be a real headache for this team as it tries to make the NCAA Tournament. This game against N.C. State is not so much a resume-enhancing opportunity as it is an occasion in which to avoid a bad loss and not lose additional ground. Both Clemson and State are in a position where they need to win games like these to stay in the conversation, and then beat the Dukes and Virginias of the world to truly make their case about deserving a tournament bid in March.

North Carolina State has only three losses entering this game, but one of them was at home against Pittsburgh, a damaging loss the Wolfpack will have to compensate for if they want to make the NCAA Tournament. The Wolfpack's best win thus far is against Dayton, a decent but not great team which will have a tough time making the NCAAs. N.C. State needs to win games against NCAA Tournament-quality opponents to have a realistic shot at competing in March Madness. So far, the Pack has struck out when given big chances to improve its resume against Kansas and Miami. Clemson is not an NCAA Tournament-level team, but State can't afford these kinds of battleground losses to opponents in similar situations if it wants to improve its odds of appearing in the bracket on Selection Sunday. Coach Kevin Keatts has struggled to get the program off the ground. This is exactly the kind of game he needs to win if he wants to put State in position to make a run at an NCAA berth.

Courtesy of FanDuel, here are the NC State-Clemson College Basketball odds.

College Basketball Odds: NC State-Clemson Odds

NC State Wolfpack: +2.5 (-115)

Clemson Tigers: -2.5 (-105)

Over: 146.5 (-115)

Under: 146.5 (-105)

Why NC State Could Cover the Spread

Just look at Clemson's profile. It's not particularly impressive. A team which lost to a not-very-good South Carolina squad does not possess considerable upside as a program. The Tigers are the definition of a middle-of-the-road team which can beat relatively equal opponents but won't do so all the time and will struggle against clearly superior opposition. Coach Brad Brownell has guided Clemson for 13 seasons. In his time with the program, the Tigers have reached the Sweet 16, but have made the NCAA Tournament just twice in the past 11 seasons. This is a program which usually fails to win the kinds of games it needs to win to lift itself to the next level. That should be enough to help N.C. State bag a crucial road win.

Why Clemson Could Cover the Spread

North Carolina State's offense is erratic and undependable. That offense faltered in the loss to Pittsburgh, the kind of result no good team should produce in the ACC or any other conference. North Carolina State has failed to make the NCAA Tournament in each of the past four seasons under head coach Kevin Keatts. The program is, by all accounts, stagnant and unsure of itself. North Carolina State failed to blow out a very bad Louisville team earlier in December. The Wolfpack won, but the game was still competitive midway through the second half, and it was a home game. If an ACC team is not hammering Louisville by 20 or more points, that's a likely sign of mediocrity and drift. The Wolfpack's recent history suggests the program will not rise to the challenge of beating Clemson on the road.

Final NC State-Clemson Prediction & Pick

Neither team is reliable, so you should stay away from this game. Find other, better games to bet on for your college basketball Friday.

Final NC State-Clemson Prediction & Pick: Clemson -2.5