The NC State Wolfpack (19-14, 9-11) take on the No. 11 Duke Blue Devils (24-7, 15-5) in the quarterfinals of the ACC tournament! Below we will continue our college basketball odds series as we hand out a NC State-Duke prediction and pick. We will also let you know how to watch the game.
NC State defeated Louisville in their first game of the tournament, then beat Syracuse the next day to advance to the quarterfinals. The Wolfpack lost to the Blue Devils in their one matchup this season in Raleigh. In that game, DJ Burns Jr went off for 27 points, but he was the only player above 10 points. As a team, NC State shot 48.2 percent from the floor, but they made just three three-point shots. The Wolfpack will look to continue their Cinderella ACC Tournament run Thursday night.
Duke had a great regular season, and it earned them the second seed in the ACC Tournament. This will be their first game of the tournament while NC State is playing their third game in as many days. In their win over NC State earlier this season, Duke was able to pull away with 46 second half points. Jeremy Roach finished with 21 points while Jared McCain had 16 of his own. Duke shot 47.1 percent from the field in the win, and they made nine shots from beyond the arc.
Here are the college basketball odds, courtesy of FanDuel.
College Basketball Odds: NC State-Duke Odds
NC State: +10.5 (-102)
Moneyline: +470
Duke: -10.5 (-120)
Moneyline: -670
Over: 148.5 (-110)
Under: 148.5 (-110)
How to Watch NC State vs. Duke
Time: 7 PM ET/4 PM PT
TV: ESPN
Stream: fuboTV (Click for free trial)
Why NC State Will Cover The Spread/Win
NC State is playing well through the first two games of the tournament. Yes, the teams are inferior to Duke, but it is all about gaining momentum and getting hot at the right time in the college basketball postseason. NC State has that momentum. They have put up 94 and 83 points in the first two games of the tournament, and this is what they need to continue to do. If NC State can have another good offensive game, they are going to cover this spread and maybe even win.
Jayden Taylor is averaging 18.0 points per game through the first two games in the postseason, Michael O'Connell is at 16.0 points, and Burns is at 13.5. These three players have really taken charge, and NC State needs that to continue in this game. On the back of Burns Jr with the other two following, the Wolfpack have a chance to stay hot.
Why Duke Will Cover The Spread/Win
Keep in mind this is NC State's third game in three days. The first two games were against teams not as good as Duke, as well. It is so hard for a team to play three games in as many days, and continue to play well. Legs are tired, energy is lower, and it is just overall harder to win. Duke should be able to take advantage of that and win this game to advance to the semifinals.
On the statistical side, Duke has already put up 79 points on NC State this season. NC State allows the sixth-most points per game in the ACC, fifth-best field goal percentage, and second-best three-point percentage. Duke is going to get their open shots, so they just have to knock them down. As long as Duke does that, they are going to cover the spread.
Final NC State-Duke Prediction & Pick
NC State is hot coming into this game, and it is hard to bet against a team like that in the postseason. We have already seen top teams take a tumble in other conferences, and the ACC Tournament has seen two big upsets already. I do not think NC State wins this game, but I do think they keep it close. I will take the Wolfpack to cover the spread.
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Final NC State-Duke Prediction & Pick: NC State +10.5 (-102)
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