The NC State Wolfpack take on the Stanford Cardinal. Check out our Women's March Madness odds series for our NC State Stanford prediction and pick. Find how to watch NC State Stanford.
The North Carolina State Wolfpack haven't made the Women's Final Four since 1998. They have, however, been a regular part of the Sweet 16 in recent years. Dating back to 2018, State has reached five of the past six Sweet 16s. The Wolfpack have, however, never made the Final Four in any of those trips to the second weekend of the NCAA Tournament. This team is searching for a breakthrough weekend in which all the pieces finally come together. The Wolfpack turned back a challenge from Tennessee in the second round of March Madness. Now they fly across the country to Portland for a date with one of the blue-blood programs of women's college basketball.
The Stanford Cardinal are fortunate to be here in the Sweet 16. They were pushed to the limit by Iowa State in the second round this past Sunday. Star player Cameron Brink fouled out with a few minutes left in the fourth quarter. Stanford desperately needed role players to step up and help star Kiki Iriafen bring home the win. Iriafen was spectacular versus Iowa State, scoring 41 points and pulling down 16 rebounds, but she needed something from her teammates with Brink out. The player who stepped up for the Cardinal was Brooke Demetre, who hit a pair of huge 3-point shots to nudge Stanford to the finish line against an inspired Iowa State team. The Cardinal were able to advance on a night when Brink, their defensive anchor and rim protector, could not adjust to a tight whistle from the officials. It will be fascinating to see how Stanford responds to that game.
Here are the NC State-Stanford Women's March Madness odds, courtesy of FanDuel.
Women's March Madness Odds: NC State-Stanford Odds
NC State Wolfpack: +4.5 (-108)
Stanford Cardinal: -4.5 (-112)
Over: 133.5 (-106)
Under: 133.5 (-114)
How To Watch NC State vs Stanford
Time: 7:30 pm ET / 4:30 pm PT
TV: ESPN
Stream: fuboTV (click for a free trial)*
Why NC State Could Cover the Spread
The Wolfpack were outstanding in the final four minutes of their win over Tennessee. They made a lot of winning plays to pull away from a determined opponent. Stanford did beat Iowa State, but the Cardinal weren't nearly as convincing in their win and struggled to adequately defend Iowa State. It also has to be said that Cameron Brink is not playing as well as she could or should. If she doesn't significantly improve in this game, NC State should have a deeper and more balanced team than Stanford. The Cardinal need both Brink and Iriafen to be at their best. If one of them struggles, the Cardinal become much less formidable. That should be enough for State to cover the spread.
Why Stanford Could Cover the Spread
This is a game in which Cameron Brink — having gotten into foul trouble in her previous game — will be intent on bouncing back with a huge performance. If Brink and Iriafen both play at their best in the same game, it will be extremely hard for Stanford to not cover the spread. It's a relatively small number. Stanford should be able to raise its level of performance enough to cover.
Final NC State-Stanford Prediction & Pick
The concern for Stanford is that Cameron Brink has not found her A-game. If she doesn't find it, Stanford won't cover. Take North Carolina State.
Final NC State-Stanford Prediction & Pick: NC State +4.5
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