Our NCAA Tournament picks for the First Round continue, as No. 5 Creighton is set to face No. 12 NC State on Friday, Mar. 17. The game is scheduled for 4 pm ET while airing on TNT. Creighton enters this game as 5.5-point favorites with the total set at 148.5. How will this one play out? Let’s dive into the Creighton vs. NC State predictions below.
Creighton vs. NC State Odds
- Spread: Creighton -5.5
- Total: 148.5
Odds via DraftKings Sportsbook. New to DK? Check out our DraftKings Sportsbook Review to find out how to bet $5 to get $200 in bonus bets!
Game Info
- Date: Friday, Mar. 17
- Time: 4 pm ET
- Location: Ball Arena, Denver, CO
- TV: TNT
- Stream: March Madness Live
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Creighton Betting Trends
- Bluejays are 10-3 ATS in their last 13 neutral site games.
- Over is 7-2 in Bluejays last 9 neutral site games.
- Bluejays are 0-4 ATS in their last 4 games vs. a team with a winning % above .600.
NC State Betting Trends
- Wolfpack are 1-3-1 ATS in their last 5 NCAA Tournament games.
- Over is 4-1 in Wolfpack last 5 NCAA Tournament games.
- Over is 9-4 in Wolfpack last 13 games following a straight up loss.
Creighton vs. NC State Predictions
This is a matchup between an extremely consistent team and one with plenty of upside. If NC State is firing on all cylinders, they’re going to be difficult to beat in this type of setting, but they’re far too inconsistent to trust that.
Ryan Kalkbrenner is going to pose a massive problem in the paint. He has a major size edge over DJ Burns, who is going to have to get creative to score in the paint. This size and length advantage will allow the Creighton center to help on the guards that are attacking the paint.
NC State has several players that can take over a game, but I prefer this Creighton defense. If Burns can’t establish himself in the paint, which I’m not expecting him to be able to, Kalkbrenner is going to be able to help more on Jarkel Joiner and Terquavion Smith.
The Creighton big will also have clear looks at the basket on offense, and they should find plenty of success in the paint. Overall, there’s too much offensive and defensive versatility for NC State to deal with.
The Pick: Creighton -5.5 | -105 on DraftKings Sportsbook
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