Clemson vs. N.C. State Pick
Can No. 19 Clemson stay unbeaten in the ACC when it hits the road to face N.C. State tonight at 9PM ET?
According to oddsmakers at Bovada.lv, Clemson is the slight favorite on the road, as the Tigers are getting odds of -4 points against N.C. State. The over/under total for the contest is listed at 146.5 points. Tonight’s game takes place from PNC Arena in Raleigh, North Carolina and will air live on ESPN.
Clemson is on a 10-game win streak right now following a 74-69 OT win over Louisville. That includes a 78-62 win over N.C. State back on Dec. 30 at home. The Tigers are 14-1 on the season, 3-0 in the ACC and 8-4 against the spread. Clemson has failed to cover in its last two games. Clemson averages 77.9 points per game on offense while allowing 63.5 on defense. Marcquise Reed is leading Clemson with 15.9 points per game while Donte Grantham is adding 14.6 points and 7.3 rebounds per contest.
N.C. State is coming off a 96-85 win over Duke last weekend to snap a two-game skid. The Wolfpack are now 11-5 on the season, 1-2 in the ACC and 4-5 against the spread. N.C. State is averaging 83.4 points per game on offense this season while giving up 72.6 per game on defense. Allerik Freeman is averaging 15.3 points per game to lead N.C. State on the season while Torin Dorn is adding 13.4 points and 7.3 rebounds per game.
Clemson has won three straight meetings with N.C. State, covering in the last two meetings. The Clemson defense held firm at home a few weeks ago, but I am not sure that defense can show up on the road today. N.C. State is averaging 91.5 points per game at home this season and holding teams to just 70.9 per game. Clemson isn’t a team that is going to win with an overwhelming offense. If its defense doesn’t show up, it could be a long night. Duke found out how hard it can be to stop N.C. State in Raleigh. The public betting is with N.C. State tonight and I am going to take the underdog as well.
CBB DAILY PREDICTION: N.C. STATE +4