The NC State Wolfpack take on the Ole Miss Rebels. Check out our college basketball odds series for our NC State Ole Miss prediction and pick. Find how to watch NC State Ole Miss.

North Carolina State has one loss and Ole Miss is unbeaten, but Ole Miss has played a moderately less challenging schedule than the Wolfpack in the first few weeks of the season. It will be very interesting to see if Ole Miss, under first-year head coach Chris Beard, can quickly come together as a whole unit and build confidence before the SEC schedule begins after Christmas.

North Carolina State made the NCAA Tournament last season. Coach Kevin Keatts can really use a win here after State lost to BYU last weekend in Las Vegas. Ole Miss might not be a great team right now, but a road win over an SEC opponent is still going to look good on a resume if the Wolfpack can get the job done in Oxford.

Here are the NC State-Ole Miss College Basketball odds, courtesy of FanDuel.

College Basketball Odds: NC State-Ole Miss Odds

NC State Wolfpack: +2.5 (-118)

Ole Miss Rebels: -2.5 (-104)

Over: 144.5 (-105)

Under: 144.5 (-115)

How To Watch NC State vs Ole Miss

Time: 9:00 pm ET / 6:00 pm PT

TV: ESPN2

Stream: fuboTV (click for a free trial)*

Why NC State Could Cover the Spread

The Ole Miss Rebels have won all five of their games so far this season, but three of their wins have been by no more than three points. They have won two games by one point. They haven't played especially good teams. They beat Temple, a team which does not appear likely to be an NCAA Tournament team. Ole Miss is in its first season under new coach Chris Beard. While the scandal-plagued Beard might not get an elite coaching job at any point in the near future, he is — strictly as a basketball coach — one of the better performers in the industry. Remember: Chris Beard took Texas Tech to the Final Four, the national championship game, and to overtime in the national championship game. He came very close to winning a national title in Lubbock, Texas. That is quite a feat and a true testament to his coaching ability. Nevertheless, it will take time for Beard to develop Ole Miss, a program which struggled under previous head coach Kermit Davis. The Rebels are likely to have an uneven and difficult season. North Carolina State figures to be the team which hands Ole Miss its first loss of the campaign.

Why Ole Miss Could Cover the Spread

The N.C. State Wolfpack played a very strong first 15 minutes against BYU last weekend in Las Vegas but then steadily lost ground. NC State's defense couldn't keep track of BYU's shooters and began to leak oil. The Wolfpack couldn't repair the leak and lost to BYU by nine points. NC State was so bad in the second half of this game that it allowed 57 points to BYU after halftime. That is remarkably bad by any standard. With a defense this vulnerable, Ole Miss — while not possessing an offense nearly as potent as BYU's — can still do a lot of damage and grab a four- or five-point win over the Wolfpack.

Final NC State-Ole Miss Prediction & Pick

Ole Miss is not as good as its record indicates. Chris Beard is a good coach but does not have the high-end players needed to max out. BYU is a much better team than Ole Miss. The fact that State lost to BYU shouldn't lead one to pick Ole Miss here. North Carolina State's defense will not be exploited by Ole Miss's offense, and that's what will enable the Wolfpack to get a win on the road.

Final NC State-Ole Miss Prediction & Pick: NC State +2.5