NC State Wolfpack (5-1) vs BYU Cougars (5-1)
Game Info: Friday, November 29, 2024 at 3:30 pm (LionTree Arena)
The Line: Betting Odds: BYU Cougars -5.5 / NC State Wolfpack +5.5 — Over/Under: 154
The NC State Wolfpack and the BYU Cougars meet Friday in college basketball action from LionTree Arena. Here’s an NC State vs BYU prediction. We will look at this from a betting perspective and determine the best NC State vs BYU pick. We will examine:
The NC State Wolfpack’s recent form and player performance
The BYU Cougars’ recent form and player performance
Recent betting trends and streaks involving the NC State Wolfpack
Recent betting trends and streaks involving the BYU Cougars
Recent betting trends in games played between NC State and BYU
A summary that ties it all together and produces a favorable betting outcome for the NC State vs BYU game
NC State Wolfpack Betting Preview
The Wolfpack managed to open the season with a series of five pretty good-sized wins. NC State knocked off USC Upstate, Presbyterian, Coastal Carolina, Colgate, and William & Mary in succession during that time.
In their Thanksgiving matchup with Purdue, NC State took their first loss of the year. The Wolfpack held strong in the first half with a 33-32 deficit, then got outscored 38-29 the rest of the way for a 71-61 loss. Jayden Taylor led the team with 15 points and five boards.
BYU Cougars Betting Preview
Over on the Cougars’ side, they got off to a nice start with five straight victories. Those wins came courtesy of Central Arkansas, UC Riverside, Queens NC, Idaho, and MS Valley. BYU took their first loss to Ole Miss on Thursday.
In their Thanksgiving matchup versus the Rebels, BYU had a 42-39 edge going into the second half. The Cougars eventually fell 96-85 after a 19-8 deficit in overtime.
Why the BYU Cougars will win
- BYU has won eight of its last nine games after coming off overtime.
- NC State has lost six of its last seven games against the Big 12 Conference at neutral venues.
- NC State has lost the first half in each of its last five day games played at neutral venues.
Why the NC State Wolfpack will win
- NC State has won 14 of its last 16 games.
- BYU has lost each of its last three games played at neutral venues.
- BYU has lost the first half in six of its last eight day games played at neutral venues.
Total Points Facts
- Each of NC State’s last six games against non-Conference opponents at neutral venues have produced a total of 152 or fewer points.
- Five of BYU’s last six day games against non-AP-ranked opponents have produced a total of 156+ points.
Matchup/League Facts
- BYU ranks 9th among Division 1 teams for points per game this season (90.0).
- BYU ranks T9th among Division 1 teams for three-point field goal attempts per game this season (32.8).
- NC State ranks 355th among Division 1 teams for three-point field goals made per game this season (4.8).
- NC State ranks T14th among Division 1 teams for opponent three-point field goals made per game this season (5.0).
NC State vs BYU Prediction
I’ll probably try NC State here. The Wolfpack ended up with a 10-point loss to a very good Purdue team on Thursday, but there are some promising takeaways. NC State hit a reasonable 43.4 percent from the floor with just seven turnovers in that defeat, however, the 4-of-17 (23.5 percent) from 3-point range and the 42-29 rebounding deficit (17-9 offensive) certainly didn’t help matters. It was the first time all year that NC State had failed to register at least 72 points, so I’d imagine the Wolfpack have a good shot at returning to form here.
As for BYU, they faded after the first half against Ole Miss, eventually shooting a tepid 40.6 percent from the field with 17 turnovers. The Cougars haven’t really been tested in their wins this year outside of the UC Riverside game (86-80), so I like the Wolfpack to prevail (at least cover-wise) in a competitive matchup.