Tonight at 7:00 p.m. ET, the No. 24-ranked Louisville Cardinals host the NC State Wolfpack. Louisville enters this game on a three-game winning streak, while NC State has won its previous six contests. The Cardinals are 15-14 against the Wolfpack and won their last contest. But before their previous game, NC State won four consecutive contests against Louisville.
On DraftKings Sportsbook, Louisville is -6.5 on the spread, while the game’s over/under is set at 161.5, with the under being -112. Check out my best bet for NC State vs. Louisville below.
NC State vs. Louisville (7:00 p.m. ET)
NC State has won eight of its previous nine contests, with its lone loss coming to Georgia Tech by four points. The Wolfpack has three players averaging at least 14 points: Darrion Williams (14.7 PPG), Paul McNeil Jr. (14.1 PPG), and Quadir Copeland (14 PPG). Although Williams is coming off a four-point performance against Virginia Tech, he scored 20-plus points in his previous three contests before that.
On KenPom, this contest is very close, with Louisville ranked No. 19 and NC State No. 24. Louisville’s offensive rating is 15th, while NC State’s is 21st. The Cardinals have the 31st-best defensive rating, which is seven spots ahead of the Wolfpacks. Both teams average 85.7 points per game, which is the second most in the ACC. Louisville allows 70.7 points, which is nearly two fewer points than NC State.
Louisville has a guard-heavy rotation with five of its top six scorers from the backcourt. Veteran Ryan Conwell and freshman Mikel Brown Jr. have been the Cardinals’ best two players this season. Although they have upside on offense, they have been inconsistent, scoring 76 or fewer in two of their last four games.
Two of NC State’s previous three losses were by four or fewer points. NC State has had success on the road this season, including a win over No. 18 Clemson on its court. NC State has been better in ACC play so far, going 9-2 in the conference compared to Louisville’s 7-4 record. Getting NC State at +7.5 on the spread is an excellent value play considering how they have looked recently.
