The NC State Wolfpack and Villanova Wildcats meet up tonight in NCAA Tournament action for the third round. The game is scheduled for a 7:10 p.m. start time and it will be televised nationally on TBS. Currently the College Basketball Betting Odds for the game have the Wildcats favored to advance to the next round of the tournament.
Villanova was the exception to the norm on Thursday as the Wildcats blew out Lafayette by 41 points. The win was the 15th in a row for Jay Wright’s team, which is looking to march itself to the Final Four. Villanova is the top seed in the East Region, they score a ton of points and they have a knack for playing solid defense.
NC State is a lot better than people give them credit for considering they have 13 losses. The Wolfpack have several big wins this season and finished the year with a record of 4-9 against NCAA Tournament teams this season, including wins over Duke, Louisville and North Carolina. While they aren’t a top seed in the tournament they do have a good amount of experience and a coach in Mark Gottfried that always gets the best from his players.
The Wolfpack come in with nice guards, which is always a big part of winning in March. Ralston Turner and Anthony Barber played well in the team’s come from behind win over LSU on Thursday, a game where the Wolfpack eclipsed a 12-point deficit with less than 10 minutes left to find a way to win. LSU missed a ton of free throws in the final minutes of that game, but NC State still had to take advantage when the opportunity presented itself. BeeJay Anya made crazy shot with time running out in the paint to give the Wolfpack the win.
NC State can push Villanova in this one. The Wolfpack can be physical, something Villanova doesn’t want to do. The Wildcats love to shoot the 3, get out in transition and run the floor. Villanova connected for 11 triples against Lafayette in their opener.
Dylan Ennis could be the difference in this one. He's always put on the other team's best offensive player and has the ability to score points as well. One of a couple double-digit scorers per game, the Cats also get at least 10 from Darrun Hilliard II, Josh Hart and Ryan Arcidiacono. All can knock it down from deep and Villanova shoots itself into the Sweet 16 tonight.
Free Pick: Villanova 82, NC State 68
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