College Basketball on Thursday and we will see the NC State Wolfpack travel to Durham, North Carolina to take on the Duke Blue Devils. The game is scheduled for a 9:00 pm (Eastern) start time and will be televised on the ACC Network. Currently the odds for the game have Duke favored by 10.5 points while the total sits at 151.5. Check out Sportsbook Spy to see who the Public is taking on all of today's games.
Analysis: Mark Gottfried's Wolfpack were considered the team to beat in the ACC this season and certainly have shown flashes of that dominant play, including and 84-76 win over this same Duke club back on Jan. 12. However, since that victory NC State has dropped four of its last six games, including two straight heading into this contest. The Wolfpack fell to 5-4 in league play with last weekend's heart-breaking 79-78 loss at home to Miami. The Wolfpack have absorbed some crushing losses on the court lately and are dealing with a significant personnel loss as well, with point guard Lorenzo Brown nursing a sprained ankle. Brown, who handed out 13 assists in the win over Duke last month, missed Saturday’s 79-78 home loss to Miami and will not be rushed back into the lineup by coach Mark Gottfried. NC State poses a problem for any adversary due to the team's explosive play and overall scoring depth. The Wolfpack are one of the top shooting teams in the nation at a healthy 50.4 percent clip, ranking fifth nationally. That has led to a healthy 78.5 ppg (11th nationally). Five players come into this game averaging double figures, led by C.J. Leslie's 15.7 ppg. Richard Howell has been a beast in the paint, averaging a double-double with 12.8 points and 10.9 rebounds per game. T.J. Warren (11.9 ppg) is a dangerous asset off the bench, while Scott Wood (11.5 ppg - 56 3-pointers) is the team's resident sniper.
Mike Krzyzewski's Blue Devils are an impressive 19-2 on the season and have won three straight games since a loss on the road at league-leading Miami- Florida. Duke is two and a half games behind the Hurricanes (9-0) in the league standings, moving to 6-2 in league play with last weekend's 79-60 romp over Florida State in Tallahassee. Duke is a perfect 11-0 in Durham this season and has won 20 or more games in 16 straight seasons. The Blue Devils shot a scorching 11-of-18 from behind the arc, distancing themselves from the Seminoles and earning a 19-point win over FSU. Seth Curry netted 21 points for the second straight game, finishing with five 3-pointers. Quinn Cook poured in 18 points and dished out six assists. Rasheed Sulaimon and Amile Jefferson finished with 14 and 11 points, respectively. All-American candidate Mason Plumlee though, was held in check, posting just eight points and five rebounds in the win. Plumlee has been much more explosive on the season. He has shot .604 from the floor, ranking sixth nationally in field-goal percentage, while leading the team with 17.6 points and 10.8 rebounds per game. Curry is the perfect complement with his long-range acumen. The senior guard is averaging 16.3 ppg and is shooting .432 from behind the arc (51-of-118). Duke is looking to secure its 17th consecutive 20-win season and they are 11-0 at Cameron Indoor this year.
Free Pick: I like the Wolfpack to be able to keep this one close. Even with out Brown they are still a dangerous team and still have plenty of athletes to hang with Duke in this one. The Pack is just 1-4 on the road, but those 4 losses have been by a combined 13 points. I see this one staying in single digits the whole night.
-25 of picks FREE! No Obligation - No Credit Card Required - Becoming a member is Fast and Free!
Get More Free Picks from the Pregame Pros HERE.
Check out Pregame.tv each week to get Videos with analysis, handicapping tips and Free Plays.
NBA Free Picks: LA Lakers at Boston BettingWhat NBA bettors need to know about Los Angeles Lakers at Boston Celtics on Thursday (2/07/13) - a free pick from Pregame.com's Bryan Leonard, with host Steve Fezzik.