The South Region of the 2024 NCAA Tournament is assured to have at least one double-digit seed in the Sweet 16, as NC State and Oakland each won as underdogs in the first round and now face off in the second round. That’s after the Wolfpack and Golden Grizzlies had to win their conference tournaments to make the March Madness field.
These teams are hot, and we could see a high-scoring contest. The two squads have been outscoring their opponents in shootouts to get here. NC State is 23-14 straight up and 18-18-1 against the spread this season. The Wolfpack have won six games in a row, as underdogs in the last five. But NC State bettors have to lay the points on Saturday.
Oakland went 24-11 SU and boasts a 22-13 record ATS. The Golden Grizzlies have won nine of their last 10 games and covered the spread in seven of them.
Here’s everything you need to know about betting on Oakland vs. NC State in the 2024 NCAA Tournament, including updated odds, trends, and our prediction for Saturday’s second-round March Madness game on TBS/truTV at 7:10 p.m.
Oakland vs. NC State odds
Here are the latest college basketball betting odds for Oakland vs. NC State from the best online sports betting sites in the U.S.
The Wolfpack are a single-digit favorite over Oakland in this March Madness battle set for PPG Paints Arena in Pittsburgh. With a total set in the mid 140s, if each team keeps shooting it the way they have, the OVER may hit comfortably.
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Three betting trends to watch
NC State has thrived in its underdog role, winning straight, but the Wolfpack are only 2-2 over their last four games when they are the favorite.Oakland has won its last four games when playing as the spread underdog.The Wolfpack and Golden Grizzlies have combined to hit the OVER for total points in five of their last six.
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Oakland Golden Grizzlies key players
Thirty-two points off the bench seems like a ton for one player, and it is, but don’t get confused. Jack Gohlke may not start for Oakland, but he is playing starter minutes. The Golden Grizzlies sniper hit 10 threes on Thursday, going 10-20 against Kentucky. The senior guard averages 12.2 points per game but ended the season as hot as any shooter in the country. He has hit 10, five, and seven threes in Oakland’s last three games.Trey Townsend, the Horizon League player of the year, has been playing well and had a solid night against Kentucky. He scored 17 points and 12 rebounds, hitting some crucial baskets late to seal the upset win. Rocket Watts missed Oakland’s conference tournament final, but is back from injury and played a key role. He is a former Michigan State transfer and has played in big games under the bright lights before. He is an excellent athlete and gives the Grizzlies a dynamic guard off the bench who can score and distribute the basketball. His eight points and four assists against Kentucky may have been overshadowed by Gohlke’s big night, but they were crucial in the win.
NC State Wolfpack key players
DJ Horne (16.9 PPG) is the Wolfpack’s leading scorer and a crucial piece to everything they do offensively. On a night when the rest of the backcourt had an off game, DJ Horne may not have been super efficient, going 5-13, but his 16 points all came at important moments.DJ Burns, NC State’s second-leading scorer, averaging 12.4 PPG, has ended the season playing the best basketball of his career. The 6-foot-9, 275-pound forward is a load and difficult to handle because of his size. He is not just a brute force, though; he can handle the ball and has some light feet to go with an array of post moves. He has scored 16, 20, and 19 points over his last three games to help the Wolfpack put together their shocking win streak.Ben Middlebrooks only averages 5.5 points a night but had a career night, scoring 21 in NC State’s win over Texas Tech. If he can give even half that production off the bench against Oakland, the Wolfpack will feel great about their chances to win.
More Saturday March Madness matchups: Gonzaga vs. Kansas | UNC vs. Michigan | Duquesne vs. Illinois | Creighton vs. Oregon | Arizona vs. Dayton
Best individual matchup: DJ Horne vs. Jack Gohlke
Each team’s best guard has had some big games and carried their teams at times. If either player decisively wins the scoring battle with the other, that will be a major factor in which team wins on Saturday. Burns can go off for 25+ on any given night, and Gohlke put his name in the record books with 10 made threes in the first round. Watching these two go shot-for-shot makes for an exciting matchup.
Oakland vs. NC State stat to know
Each team has won five games in a row and is peaking at the perfect time. It is sad that one of these two teams has to lose. As hot as each team is, the winner will likely come down to whichever shoots a higher percentage from three.
Oakland vs. NC State prediction: Golden Grizzlies pull another upset
Oakland has the hottest player in college basketball right now, with Jack Gohlke coming off ten made threes. The rest of the Oakland team made five, and in the first round, NC State made only five total. If Gohlke makes more threes than NC State’s entire team, it is hard to see them winning.
Prediction: Oakland 77, NC State 70 (Bet Golden Grizzlies moneyline at ). Oakland (+3.5) covers the spread, with the game going OVER the total (146.5).
Bet on NC State vs. Oakland on North Carolina sports betting sites
Wolfpack fans who would like to get some skin in Saturday’s game are in luck, as sports betting is up and running in North Carolina, and NC sportsbook are offering great welcome promos for new customers.
With just a small deposit, you can collect hundreds of dollars in bonus bets from sportsbooks like FanDuel, BetMGM and DraftKings, and you can put this promotional money into action for the NC State vs. Oakland March Madness game.
Just click “claim promo” below to sign up with a NC sportsbook:
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Author(s)
Caleb Tallman has written for many companies, big and small, everything from middle and high school sports to the national level and pro teams.
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