Louisville vs. NC State Prediction, Odds and Key Players for ACC Tournament First Round (Back the Cardinals)
Two teams heading toward an early offseason tip off on the opening day of the ACC Tournament in Washington D.C. No. 15 Louisville, which seems likely to move on from head coach Kenny Payne after a last-place finish in the ACC, opens as a big underdog to No. 10 NC State. The Cardinals lost their last seven regular-season games.
NC State ended the regular season on a four-game slide, which dropped the Wolfpack to under .500 in ACC action. Can they pull away in D.C. on Tuesday? Here’s the betting breakdown of the matchup with a best bet.
If you’re looking to bet on any NCAA game tonight, FanDuel Sportsbook has an amazing promotional offer. New users who sign up with the link below and wager $5 will receive $150 in bonus bets if their first bet wins.
Sign up for FanDuel now!
Louisville vs. NC State Odds, Spread and Total
Louisville vs. NC State Betting Trends
- Louisville is 12-18-1 ATS this season
- NC State is 13-17-1 ATS this season
- Louisville is 9-12-1 ATS as an underdog this season
- NC State is 8-11 ATS as a favorite this season
- The OVER is 15-16 in Louisville games this season
- The OVER is 18-12-1 in NC State games this season
Louisville vs. NC State How to Watch
- Date: Tuesday, March 12
- Game time: 4:30 p.m. EST
- Venue: Capital One Arena
- How to watch (TV): ACC Network
- Louisville record: 8-23
- NC State record: 17-14
Louisville vs. NC State Key Players to Watch
Louisville
Brandon Huntley-Hatfield: The 6-foot-10 junior is one of four players in Louisville’s lineup averaging at least 12 points per game. Huntley-Hatfield, who is the team’s leader in scoring (12.8 points per game) and rebounding (8.5) is shooting 56.6% from the field this season and ended the regular season with two double-doubles in four games.
NC State
DJ Horne: Horne, the Wolfpack’s leading scorer at 16.8 points per game, is shooting 42.9% from beyond the arc this season. Horne combined for just 11 points on 5-of-11 shooting over his last two games. He scored 27 points in NC State’s six-point win over Louisville in January.
Louisville vs. NC State Prediction and Pick
Louisville plays at the fourth-fastest pace in the ACC, though it hasn’t led to much offensive success. The Cardinals, 12th in the conference in scoring, are No. 282 in KenPom in effective field goal percentage.
NC State’s defense is at its best forcing turnovers, which could be a factor in Tuesday’s tilt. NC State is No. 109 in turnover percentage and No. 91 in steals against a Louisville offense that turns it over more than any team in the ACC (12.7 per game). NC State is susceptible from the perimeter, but Louisville has struggled from 3-point range this season (No. 334). Can Louisville get to the line? It might be the Cardinals’ only shot to hang close. The Cardinals are 28th in KenPom in free-throw attempts to field goal attempts ratio, and NC State allows teams to get to the charity stripe at the second-highest rate in the ACC. In the first matchup between the two clubs, Louisville got to the free-throw line 25 times in an 89-83 loss.
If NC State can connect from deep, they can run away with this matchup. Louisville, No. 206 in defensive efficiency, is No. 346 in defending 3-point shots, allowing opponents to connect from downtown at a 37.2% clip, the worst rate in the ACC. However, NC State is just 3-6 ATS in its last nine games as a favorite, and its defense is in the bottom half of the conference in most shooting metrics. Take the points with the Cardinals.
Game odds update periodically and are subject to change.