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It is an ACC battle as Florida State faces NC State. It's time to continue our College Basketball odds series with a Florida State-NC State prediction and pick.
Florida State comes into the game sitting at 7-2 on the year. After winning their first three games, they would fall to Florida 87-74. They would then win four more in a row, before facing LSU. That game was part of the ACC/SEC challenge, which was dominated by the SEC. LSU would take the lead less than two minutes into the second half, and dominate from there. They would go on to win 85-75.
Meanwhile, NC State is coming off a Final Four run last year but has struggled as of late. After starting the year 5-0, they have faced better opponents as of late. NC State has lost its last three, falling to Purdue, BYU, and Texas in the process. NC State has faced Florida State 63 previous times. NC State leads the all-time series 32-21. Last year, Florida State won the game, winning 90-83. The home team has won three straight in this series.
Here are the Florida State-NC State College Basketball Odds, courtesy of FanDuel
College Basketball Odds: Florida State-NC State Odds
Florida State: +3.5 (-110)
Moneyline: +140
NC State: -3.5 (-110)
Moneyline: -170
Over: 147.5 (-115)
Under: 147.5 (-105)
How to Watch Florida State vs. NC State
Time: 4:00 PM ET/ 1:00 PM PT
TV: ESPNU
Stream: fuboTV (Free Trial)
Why Florida State Will Cover The Spread/Win
Florida State is 63rd in the nation in KenPom's efficiency rankings. They sit 108th in offensive efficiency while sitting 30th in defensive efficiency this year. The defense has been solid this year. They are 58th in the nation in opponent points per game, while sitting 52nd in the nation in opponent effective field goal percentage this year. They are also fifth in opponent assist-to-turnover ratio this season.
Jamir Watkins returned to Florida State this year and has been solid. He is scoring 17 points per game this year while adding 4.7 rebounds per game. Further, he has 1.6 steals per game this year. He is joined in the backcourt by Daquan Davis and Justin Thomas. Davis is scoring just 8.3 points per game, but adding 2.7 rebounds, 2.2 assists, and 0.9 steals per game this year. Thomas is scoring 7.4 points per game this year while adding two rebounds per game and two assists per game. Further, he has 1.3 steals per game this year.
In the frontcourt, Malique Ewin leads the way. He is scoring 11.2 points while leading the team with 6.7 rebounds per game this year. Further, he adds 1.4 assists per game. He is joined by Taylor Bol Bowen. Bowen is scoring 7.3 points per game while adding 4.8 rebounds, 1.4 blocks, and 1.6 steals per game. Finally, Jerry Deng also adds 6.7 points with 2.6 rebounds per game.
Why NC State Will Cover The Spread/Win
NC State is 75th in the nation in KenPom's efficiency rankings. They sit 94th in offensive efficiency while sitting 68th in defensive efficiency this year. NC State has also been strong on defense. They are 44th in the nation in opponent points per game, while sitting 55th in opponent effective field goal percentage. Further, they are 36th in opponent three-pointers made per game.
Jayden Taylor leads the way for NC State. He leads the team with 13.5 points per game while adding 3.1 rebounds, 1.8 assists, and a team-leading 1.9 steals per game. He is joined by Marcus Hill. Hill is scoring 11.4 points per game while adding 2.8 rebounds and 1.8 assists. The primary assist man has been Michael O'Connell. He leads the team with 4.6 assists per game while scoring 7.4 points per game. Finally, Dontrez Stleys has been solid in the rotation. He is scoring 8.8 points per game, while also adding 4.4 rebounds and 1.4 blocks per game this year.
In the frontcourt, Brandon Huntley-Hatfield leads the way. Huntley Hatfield is scoring 10.6 points per game while leading the team with six rebounds per game. He is joined by Ben Middlebrooks. Middlebrooks is scoring 9.4 points per game while adding 4.3 rebounds, 1.5 assists, 1.4 steals, and 1.6 blocks per game this year.
Final Florida State-NC State Prediction & Pick
Both teams in this matchup are stronger on defense. This game may come down to turnovers. Florida State is fourth in the nation in steals per game but is also 245th in turnovers per game. Still, they average a plus 4.6 turnover margin per game. NC State is 45th in the nation in turnovers per game, but also 45th in opponent turnovers. They have a plus 4.7 margin per game. If NC State can limit their turnovers, they will be able to keep this one close and maybe get the win.
Final Florida State-NC State Prediction & Pick: NC State ML (-170)
