NC State, one of the last teams to receive a bid for the NCAA Tournament, will attempt to start a run as a No. 11 seed on Friday when they take on No. 6 Creighton out of the Big East.
Creighton had runs this season where the Bluejays looked like an elite team, but had a six-game losing stretch in the middle of the year, and also fell short in the semifinals of the Big East Tournament, losing by 22 points to Xavier.
NC State also looked like a solid team early in the season, with wins over Duke and Miami, but stumbled down the stretch losing three of its last four games.
So, who will advance in this 5 vs. 11 Round of 64 matchup? Let’s take a peak at the odds.
NC State vs. Creighton odds, spread, and total
NC State vs. Creighton prediction and pick
I think this matchup is a lot closer than the spread indicates, so I’m going to take the points with the NC State Wolfpack.
Creighton does outrank NC State in shooting, 27th vs. 108th in effective field goal percentage, but the Wolfpack has a strong perimeter defense that can slowdown the Bluejays offense. Creighton ranks 62nd in the country in three point shot rate, while NC State ranks 77th in opponent three point field goal percentage (32.2%).
NC State also has a massive advantage when it comes to playing good fundamental basketball. The Wolfpack rank fifth in the country in extra scoring chances per game at +6.3. Creighton, meanwhile, struggled in this area ranking 264th at -1.8.
I think NC State can hang on to the ball, force some turnovers, and at the very least keep this game close. I’ll back them getting the 5.5 points in this ACC vs. Big East matchup.
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Game odds refresh periodically and are subject to change.
