Teams with vastly different NCAA Tournament resumes battle on Saturday when the 14th-seeded Oakland Golden Grizzlies face the 11th-seeded North Carolina State Wolfpack in a South Region second-round matchup in Pittsburgh. This will be the first-ever game between the schools. The Golden Grizzlies (24-11), who are making their first NCAA Tournament appearance since 2011, held off third-seeded Kentucky 80-76 in Thursday's first-round matchup. The Wolfpack (23-14), who are competing in their second straight NCAA Tournament and 29th overall, outlasted sixth-seeded Texas Tech 80-67 on Thursday.
Tipoff from the PPG Paints Arena is scheduled for 7:10 p.m. ET. Oakland has a plus-3.5 point differential on the season, 141st-best in the nation, while NC State is at plus-3.9, 126th-best. The Wolfpack are 6-point favorites in the latest Oakland vs. NC State odds from SportsLine consensus, while the over/under for total points scored is 147.5. Before entering any NC State vs. Oakland picks, make sure you see the college basketball predictions and betting advice from the SportsLine Projection Model.
The model simulates every Division I college basketball game 10,000 times. It enters the 2024 NCAA tournament on a 148-106 roll on all top-rated college basketball picks dating back to last season, returning more than $1,700 for $100 players. It also has a strong 29-19 (+810) record on top-rated spread picks this season. Anyone following it has seen huge returns.
Now, the model has set its sights on Oakland vs. NC State revealed its March Madness picks and predictions. You can head to SportsLine now to see the model's picks. Here are several college basketball odds and trends for NC State vs. Oakland:
- Oakland vs. NC State spread: NC State -6
- Oakland vs. NC State over/under: 147.5 points
- Oakland vs. NC State money line: Oakland +206, NC State -254
- OAK: The Golden Grizzlies have won 22 of their last 31 games (+24.10 units on ML)
- NCST: The Wolfpack have won their last six games (+13.75 units on ML)
- Oakland vs. NC State picks: See picks at SportsLine
Why NC State can cover
Junior guard Jayden Taylor is in his first season with the Wolfpack after playing two years at Butler. In 37 games, including 29 starts, he is averaging 11.6 points, 3.7 rebounds, 1.4 assists and 1.2 steals in 28 minutes. Taylor nearly registered a double-double in the 83-65 ACC Tournament second-round win over Syracuse. In that game, he scored 18 points, while grabbing nine rebounds. He scored a season-high 28 points, while grabbing seven rebounds in an 81-73 loss at Pittsburgh on March 9.
Also helping power North Carolina State is fifth-year senior guard Casey Morsell. In 37 games, all starts, he is averaging 11.4 points, 2.8 rebounds, 1.7 assists and 1.1 steals in 32.4 minutes. He is connecting on 40.9% of his field goals and is among the team's leading free-throw shooters, hitting on 80.5% of his foul shots. In a 94-85 win over Louisville in the first round of the ACC Tournament, he finished with 25 points and two steals. See which team to pick here.
Why Oakland can cover
Senior Jack Gohlke is the Golden Grizzlies' top deep threat. He has hit 131 3-pointers, but just four 2-pointers this season. He poured in 32 points on 10 threes and a pair of free throws in the win over Kentucky on Thursday. He had 15 points and four rebounds in an 83-76 win over Milwaukee in the Horizon League Tournament championship game. In 35 games, including 15 starts, he is averaging 12.8 points, four rebounds and 1.1 assists in 31.2 minutes.
Junior forward Chris Conway registered a double-double in the Horizon League title game, scoring 11 points, while grabbing 10 rebounds. He had eight points, four rebounds and three assists against Kentucky in the NCAA Tournament first-round game. In 34 games, all starts, he is averaging 10 points, 4.1 rebounds and 1.3 assists in 26.6 minutes. He has reached double-figure scoring in 15 games. See which team to pick here.
How to make Oakland vs. NC State picks
SportsLine's model is leaning Over on the total, projecting 151 combined points. The model also says one side of the spread hits in well over 70% of simulations. You can only see the model's picks at SportsLine.
So who wins NC State vs. Oakland, and which side of the spread hits well over 70% of the time? Visit SportsLine now to see which side of the spread you need to jump on, all from the model on a 29-19 roll on top-ranked college basketball spread picks, and find out.
