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NC State vs Duke: South Region – Elite 8
The NC State Wolfpack and the Duke Blue Devils will face each other in the South Region – Elite 8 at American Airlines Center in Dallas, Texas.
The Wolfpack have beaten the odds
The NC State Wolfpack are coming off a 67-58 win over Marquette. They had a much more difficult game against Oakland winning 79-73 in overtime. In the opening round, the Wolfpack defeated Texas Tech 80-67 and earlier they won the ACC championship, defeating the North Carolina Tar Heels. NC State is 31st in the nation, averaging 7.3 steals per game, and is ranked 17th with only 9.5 turnovers per game. DJ Horne is the best player on the team, averaging 16.8 points per game.
How good is Duke this season?
The Duke Blue Devils had an excellent start to the NCAA tournament. First, they defeated Vermont 64-47 and then won 93-55 against James Madison. In the Sweet 16, Duke was the underdog but won 54-51 against Houston. Duke is 13th in the nation, shooting 38.1% from deep, and is ranked 45th, scoring 79.8 points per game. Kyle Filipowski leads the team, averaging 16.6 points and 8.3 rebounds per game.
Betting Trends
NC State is 19-19-1 ATS for the season, 7-4-0 ATS on neutral site and 12-12-0 ATS following a win. Duke is 21-13-1 ATS for the season, 5-1-0 ATS on neutral site and 15-11-0 following a win.
Prediction and Conclusion
Both NC State and Duke were underdogs in the Sweet 16 but managed to get one game away from the Final Four. What makes this game even more exciting is the fact that both teams are coming from the ACC and have played twice this season. First, Duke won by 15 points when they visited the Wolfpack, but then NC State responded with a 74-69 road win. The Wolfpack proved they are for real this season, defeating North Carolina in the conference championship. This team is built for big things, and they are ready for the challenge against Duke. The Blue Devils are traditionally one of the best teams in the nation, but things will not go smoothly tonight, and NC State will cover the +6.5-point spread.
