Both North Carolina State and LSU could give the best teams in the nation headaches. Unfortunately, only one of them may have a chance to do so when they meet in the second round of the NCAA Tournament.
Can the Wolfpack’s sharpshooters sink in a couple of big threes on the way to the next round? Or will LSU’s bigs dominate from inside? The two contrasting styles make for an exciting high-stakes game.
North Carolina State is one of several high-value sleepers in the tournament. Check out the rest in our March Madness Sleepers Predictions. You can also check out our complete 2015 bracket filled with picks and predictions on the way to the national champion.
[sc:MarchMadness ]March Madness No. 8 North Carolina State Wolfpack vs. No. 9 LSU Tigers Preview
Where: CONSOL Energy Center, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania
When: Thursday, March 19, 9:20 PM ET
Line: North Carolina State Wolfpack (-2.5) vs. LSU Tigers (+2.5); total: 140.5 – view all March Madness Lines
Betting on the North Carolina State Wolfpack
Sleep on North Carolina State at your own peril.
[sc:NCAAB240banner ]The NC State Wolfpack are a talented bunch capable of upsetting even the best teams in the nation. The Wolfpack already own wins against top-seeded teams Duke, North Carolina and Louisville in the crowded ACC. But they couldn’t go into a deep conference tournament run as they were handily dismantled by Duke 77-53 at the quarterfinal round.
Three-point shooting is the name of the game for the Wolfpack. Their top three scorers, Trevor Lacey (15.8 points per game), Ralston Turner (13.2 points per game) and Anthony Barber (12.1 points per game) are all shooting at about 40 percent from downtown.
Sinking in a healthy dose of threes and long twos will be NC State’s key to winning the game. While the Wolfpack drag down 37.8 rebounds per game (27th in the league), they may struggle on the boards against the lengthier LSU.
But NC State can use LSU’s size to its advantage. The Wolfpack can use their high-scoring stable of guards to drive toward the basket. This type of play should frustrate LSU’s big men enough to commit fouls. The Tigers have averaged 19 fouls in their last three, including 26 in their SEC quarterfinal loss against lowly Auburn.
The Wolfpack are 3-7 ATS in their 10 games against non-ACC opposition.
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Betting on the LSU Tigers
Big things were in store for a big SEC tournament run. They pushed No. 1 Kentucky to the brink in a 71-69 defeat in the regular season, and beat top-ranked Arkansas in the regular season finale. But they laid an egg losing to the Auburn Tigers (15-20) in the conference tournament’s quarterfinal round 73-70 in overtime.
But the Tigers’ offense is one of the best in the nation. They can hurt you anywhere from the floor. The frontcourt tandem of Jarell Martin and Jordan Mickey combine to average 32.4 points and 20 rebounds per game. They’re not too shabby in the backcourt either, with Keith Hornsby and Tim Quarterman chipping in 13.6 and 11.3 points, respectively.
Rebounds are a key for the Tigers in this matchup, especially on the offensive glass. NC State ranks in the bottom half of the nation in offensive rebounds allowed per game, while LSU ranks 63rd in the nation in that regard (10.3).
Dominating the offensive board should give the Tigers plenty of opportunities for second-chance points. Their top rebounders in Martin and Mickey are not known to waste scoring opportunities. Both are shooting over 50 percent from the field. The Tigers could also cause problems on defense. Mickey is the best shot-blocker in the nation this season averaging 3.6 blocks per game.
The Tigers are 6-1-1 ATS following a loss this season.
Writer’s Prediction
LSU’s size proves too much for NC State. Take the Tigers to advance with a big win while covering +2.5.
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