The No. 2 Marquette Golden Eagles take on the No. 11 NC State Wolfpack in the Sweet 16. The matchup will take place on Friday, March 29. Tip-off is scheduled for 7:09 p.m. ET, and the game will air on CBS.
2024 March Madness picks
No. 11 NC State vs. No. 2 Marquette best bet
NC State (24-14) has been one of the most fun and interesting stories of the tournament thus far. The Wolfpack are the only double-digit seed to reach the Sweet 16 this year, and while their ACC Tournament title might disqualify them from being a full-on Cinderella, they are certainly playing like they have something to prove. The Wolfpack put together a strong 80-67 win over No. 6 Texas Tech in the first round with four players scoring 16 or more points. They went to overtime in the second round against No. 14 Oakland, and big man DJ Burns put up a team-high 24 points in the 79-73 win.
The Wolfpack averaged 76.5 points per game this season, but that average jumped to 81 points per game throughout the ACC Tournament and the first two rounds of March Madness. Led by DJ Burns, the Wolfpack have also out-rebounded six of their seven postseason opponents.
Marquette (27-9) has not had the easiest path to the Sweet 16. The Golden Eagles, who were runners-up in the Big East this season, were down by seven points to No. 15 Western Kentucky going into halftime in the first round. They outscored the Hilltoppers 51-26 in the second half to earn the win. In the second round, they opened strong against Colorado, but the Buffaloes stormed back and brought the game down to the last minutes before the Eagles secured their four-point win.
The Golden Eagles bring a solid balance on offense and defense to the court and rank 14th overall at KenPom. They record 8.6 steals per game, score 78.6 points per game, and average 16.1 assists per game. Guard Tyler Kolek’s return from injury has been a major factor in Marquette’s wins during the tournament, as he amassed 39 points and 22 assists over the first two rounds.
Betting lines
Thursday odds
Spread: Marquette -6.5
Total: 151.5
Moneyline: Marquette -290, NCSU +235
Opening odds
Spread: Marquette -6.5
Total: 150
Moneyline: Marquette -285, NCSU +230
All odds are courtesy of DraftKings Sportsbook.
Best bet: NC State +6.5
Marquette has had trouble creating and sustaining a major lead during this tournament, and NC State is exactly the kind of scrappy team that will give the Golden Eagles a fight. The Wolfpack have had no trouble getting points on the board during the postseason, and Marquette is not a strong rebounding team, which could give NC State an advantage on the boards. This has all the makings of a close game as both teams have the week to rest up and recover from their stressful Round of 32 finishes. It’s hard to bet against this NC State team that just seems to keep on rolling.