NC State’s chances of qualifying for the National Tournament got a major boost Wednesday when it defeated the Pittsburgh Panthers in the second round of the ACC tournament. The Wolfpack can all but guarantee a spot in the upcoming March Madness with a victory over second-ranked Duke tonight, a team that they have already beaten this season.
Can the Wolfpack shock the Blue Devils again and record a stunning upset for the second game running? Or will Duke exact some payback this time around and extend its winning streak to 12 games? Read on below for a preview of this intriguing ACC showdown and while you’re at it, you can check out our previews of Louisville vs. North Carolina and Virginia vs. Florida State.
[sc:MarchMadness ]North Carolina State Wolfpack vs. Duke Blue Devils Betting Preview
Where: Greensboro Coliseum, Greensboro, North Carolina
When: Thursday, March 12, 7:00 PM ET
Line: North Carolina State Wolfpack vs. Duke Blue Devils – view all NCAA Basketball lines
Betting on the North Carolina State Wolfpack
Who let the “Cat” out of the bag?
Anthony “Cat” Barber picked the perfect time to erupt offensively as he scored a career-high 34 points to lead NC State to an 81-70 win Wednesday over the Pittsburgh Panthers in the second round of the ACC tournament.
[sc:NCAAB240banner ]Barber already had 21 points by halftime and finished 9-of-13 from the field while making all of his 12 free throws. Barber was aggressive right from the get-go as he improved on his nine-point showing against the Panthers in their first meeting back in January.
Starring alongside Barber in this win was backcourt partner Trevor Lacey. The 23-year-old overcame an early scoreless drought and foul trouble to grab 21 points on 8-of-14 field goal shooting. It has been that way all season for the Wolfpack who have relied on the brilliance of their playmaking tandem to steer them to their solid 20-12 record this campaign.
Lacey leads the team in scoring this season, averaging 16.1 PPG. Barber, on the other hand, is averaging 11.8 PPG and a team-best 3.8 APG. Barber has been on fire lately, averaging 17.6 points while nailing 19 of 36 three-pointers in his last 10 outings. They are expected to carry the offensive cudgels once again when they face the surging Duke Blue Devils later tonight.
The Wolfpack will not be fazed by this matchup by any means as they have already beaten Mike Krzyzewski’s men this season. The Wolfpack stunned the Blue Devils with a shocking 87-75 victory on January 11.
Lacey was simply unstoppable in that game, netting 21 points on 8-of-13 shooting. Ralston Turner and Beejay Anya joined in the scoring parade as well, chipping in 16 and 14 points respectively. A total of nine NC State players scored in that game and the Wolfpack will need that same balanced production if they are to repeat the stunning upset.
The Wolfpack have won three of eight games versus ranked opponents this season. It’s interesting to note, though, that they won at No. 9 Louisville (74-65) and at No. 15 North Carolina 58-46 in their last two assignments against ranked teams.
The Wolfpack are 7-1 ATS in their last eight games.
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Betting on the Duke Blue Devils
The Duke Blue Devils will enter the ACC Tournament with momentum on their side following an 84-77 victory Saturday over the North Carolina Tar Heels. It was Duke’s 11th consecutive win, their longest conference winning streak since stringing together 14 straight ACC victories back in 2006.
Tyus Jones was simply sensational for the Blue Devils, putting up 24 points, six rebounds and seven assists in the game against the Tar Heels. He became the first player in Duke’s illustrious history to record at least 20 points and seven assists in each of his first two games against North Carolina.
Providing support to Jones in that game was Quinn Cook who chipped in 20 markers of his own. Cook has been on a scoring tear as of late, averaging 21.0 points while shooting 42.6 percent from beyond the arc in his last eight games.
Jones and Cook’s contributions have been timely for Duke with Jahlil Okafor suddenly struggling for form in his last two games. The talented freshman has tallied a total of just 20 points and eight rebounds in his last two regular season outings.
The Blue Devils will need Okafor to resume his dominant ways underneath the basket in their upcoming game against NC State. Okafor was a beast inside the shaded area in their first meeting with the Wolfpack, scoring 23 points and grabbing 12 rebounds in a losing effort.
Aside from helping Okafor regain his scoring touch, the Blue Devils need to do a much better job with their perimeter defense against NC State. What led to their downfall in their last game against the Wolfpack was their inability to stop the three-ball. NC State shot 10 of 16 from the three-point area for an incredible 62.5 percent clip.
It didn’t help matters that Duke struggled with its own perimeter game. They buried just 7 of 27 three-point attempts and shot a season-low 36.9 percent from the field. This current Duke team, however, is a totally different side compared to the one NC State beat a couple of months ago. The Blue Devils are averaging a whopping 81.4 points during their current 11-game unbeaten run.
The Blue Devils are 4-1 ATS in their last five games.
Writer’s Prediction
The Blue Devils win, 85-73.
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