Are the NC State Wolfpack the best betting choice in this match up vs Louisville?

Louisville vs NC State College Hoops Betting Guide

Written by on March 26, 2015

NCAA Basketball Betting News
After knocking off top-seeded Villanova in their round of 32 matchup last weekend, the confident North Carolina State Wolfpack will look to take down No. 4 Louisville for the second time this season when the ACC rivals square off in their Sweet 16 NCAA Basketball odds showdown on Friday night. Now, let’s find out if the Wolfpack will be successful in their effort to cash in as an ‘upset special’ wagering selection.

An Insider Look At The Wolfpack vs. Cardinals Betting Guide

When: 7:37 PM ET, Friday, March 27, 2015 Where: Carrier Dome, Syracuse, New York TV: TBS Odds: Louisville -2.5 Over/Under: 129.5

No. 4 Louisville (26-8 SU, 12-19-2 ATS, 12-17-1 O/U)

After nearly getting upset by Cal-Irvine in their narrow 57-55 NCAA Tournament opener as an 8.5-point favorite, the Cardinals pulled away in the second half to beat Northern Iowa 66-53 on Sunday as a 2-point favorite. Louisville got a team-high 25 points from athletic swingman Terry Rozier on 8-of-shooting from the field and three other Cardinals also scored in double digits. “I couldn’t be more pumped up, more excited because we beat such a great team. (The Panthers are) a shooting version of Virginia in terms of the way they play and that’s the highest compliment I can give a team,” Louisville head coach Rick Pitino told reporters Louisville head coach Rick Pitino credited the play of freshman point guard Quentin Snider. The 6-2 Louisville born and bred Ballard High School star has averaged a surprising 13.0 points per game in his two tournament starts since replacing suspended senior guard Chris Jones. “I don’t know what we expected from Quentin Snider; we didn’t expect this, to be honest with you. He doesn’t get nervous at all, he’s a cool customer … and he’s gotten a lot better defensively,” Pitino said after the win over Northern Iowa.

No. 8 NC State (22-13 SU, 17-13-2 ATS, 14-13 O/U)

I felt like I was in some version of Hot Tub Time Machine 3 or something as the Wolfpack knocked off No. 1 Villanova 71-68 in their third round matchup last weekend to defeat a No.1 seed for the first time since beloved head coach Jim Valvano’s NC State squad did so twice en route to the national championship that memorable season. Anyhow, North Carolina State spread it around against the Wildcats by placing four players in double figures in scoring, led by Trevor Lacey’s team-high 17 points. Freshman forward Abdul-Malik Abu (13 points, 12 rebounds) and sophomore frontcourt big man Lennard Freeman (11 points, 12 rebounds) added a pair of huge double-doubles in the victory. “They were relentless rebounding the basketball; that was the difference for us offensively,” N.C. State coach Mark Gottfried told The Charlotte News & Observer. NC State averages a respectable 70.3 points per game (99th) while allowing 65.5 points per contest defensively (141st) while getting a team-high 15.7 points per game from Lacey. The Wolfpack spanked the Cardinals 74-65 in Louisville on Valentine’s Day to kick of their current 8-2 run since then.

Our Special NC State vs Louisville Game Analysis

Let me get right to the point by saying that I believe the North Carolina State Wolfpack are going to dismantle the Louisville Cardinals for the second time this season. After watching Louisville closely over their two NCAA Tournament games so far, I think the Cards should be thanking their lucky stars lucky that they’re still alive in March Madness in the first place. Louisville barely got by a UCI team that simply needed one more decent perimeter player. In their third round matchup against Northern Iowa, the Cardinals were in real and legitimate trouble until pulling away from a UNI squad that also needed one more solid perimeter player. I think North Carolina has both, the size down low and the quality perimeter players it takes to beat Louisville and that the Wolfpack will do just that. I think NC State head coach Mark Gottfried is very good, if somewhat underrated and that he will devise a game plan that will shut down, either Rozier or Cardinals’ power forward Montrezl Harrell. North Carolina State covered the spread as a huge, 10-point underdog in their stunning 71-68 upset win over No. 1 Villanova in their Round of 32 matchup on Sunday to snap a modest two-game ATS skid and improve to 3-2 ATS over their last five. NC State is 9-2-1 ATS in their last 12 games following an ATS win and 8-3 ATS in their last 11 games overall. The Wolfpack are also 18-7-1 ATS in their last 26 neutral site games and 7-3 ATS over their last 10 games. Conversely, Louisville has compiled a polar-opposite 3-7 ATS mark over the same span while also going 2-6 ATS in their last eight games against their ACC conference counterparts. The Pick: NC State 70 Louisville 67