Jacob Kupferman SUSA Icon Sport
NC State vs Texas Tech: South region first round
The NC State Wolfpack will try to keep the dream alive when they face the Texas Tech Red Raiders in the South Division first round on Thursday at PPG Paints Arena in Pittsburgh, PA.
The Wolfpack are coming off one of the biggest wins in school history
The NC State Wolfpack won the ACC championship after an amazing run that will make history. They finished the regular season in tenth place in the conference with a 22-14 record and 9-11 record in the conference, and then beat Louisville, Syracuse, Duke, and Virginia before defeating North Carolina 84-76 in the conference final. The Wolfpack is 124th in the nation, scoring 76.4 points per game, and is barely among the top 200 schools, with 45% shooting from the field. DJ Horne is the best player on the team, averaging 16.9 points per game.
Texas Tech is a team to watch in the South Division
The Texas Tech Red Raiders are coming off a blowout 82-59 loss to Houston in the Big 12 championship game. They had a solid season, finishing fourth in the Big 12 with a 23-10 overall record and 11-7 in conference play. They had a solid run in the conference championship, with double-digit wins over Baylor and BUY, but had no chance against the Cougars. The Red Raiders are 18th in the nation, shooting 78.3% from the stripe, and 59th, shooting 36.5% from the three-point line. Pop Isaacs is the best player on the team, averaging 15.9 points per game.
Betting Trends
NC State is 17-18-1 ATS for the season, 5-3-0 ATS on neutral site and 10-11-0 ATS following a win. Texas Tech is 15-17-1 ATS for the season, 3-3-0 ATS on neutral site and 3-5-1 ATS following a loss.
Prediction and Conclusion
Both teams are coming from very different experiences in the conference finals. The Wolfpack stunned the Tar Heels, while the Red Raiders were blown out by the Cougars. Looking at the numbers, Texas Teach is the better team, but no one can deny the Wolfpack’s character and team chemistry. After their run in the ACC, no team is safe against them, and no matter how good of a shooting team the Red Raiders are, NC State will stay in this game and cover the +4.5-point spread.
