Texas and NC State will play in the First Four on Tuesday, March 17, to determine who earns the No. 11 seed in the West Region. The winner will face No. 6 BYU in the first round.
The Wolfpack are 1.5-point favorites, while the Longhorns are +100 on the moneyline on DraftKings Sportsbook. The total is set at 163.5 points.
Texas vs. NC State opening odds
The Longhorns didn’t help themselves much down the stretch. After holding a 17-9 overall record in mid-February, the team lost five of the next six games. Three of those losses were against other NCAA Tournament teams, which softened the blow. On the bright side, Texas has a couple standout wins, beating No. 13 Alabama and No. 10 Vanderbilt in back-to-back games in January. It also defeated No. 23 NC State in November, so this will be an exciting rematch.
The Wolfpack are seeking revenge after losing 102-97 to the Longhorns in November. That was a neutral site game in which three NC State players scored 20+ points. The team’s offense ranks 20th in KenPom rankings, but Texas is also a highly-ranked team at 13th. Like Texas, NC State struggled at the end of the season, losing seven of its last nine games.
