N.C. State Wolfpack vs Duke Blue Devils Prediction: Preview, Team Schedule and News, Trends, Stats, March 4th 2024

Our resident college hoops expert Ej Garr is celebrating a birthday on Monday, and with only one week remaining in the NCAA basketball regular season, the games only get bigger this time of year.

Ej has picked out the ACC battle on the Monday schedule because the Wolfpack and Blue Devils are one of the highest-profile games of the night. Duke needs to escape Raleigh with a win to keep their chances of earning a 1-seed for the ACC Tournament alive, and Ej expects the Devils to get off to a fast start tonight!

-5.5 is the Handicap offer from Bet365 for this match, and the total is 149.5. 

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In this Article:

• N.C State Wolfpack vs Duke Blue Devils Prediction
• Game Info
• N.C State Wolfpack vs Duke Blue Devils Odds
• N.C State Wolfpack vs Duke Blue Devils Trends
• N.C State Wolfpack Schedule and Form 
• Duke Blue Devils Schedule and Form
• Safer Gambling

Odds are available as of March 4. Odds may now differ.

Our N.C. State Wolfpack vs Duke Blue Devils prediction is for the Blue Devils to cover the -2.5 First-Half Handicap.

N.C. STATE WOLFPACK VS DUKE BLUE DEVILS Prediction

It’s my birthday today, so I would love nothing more than to celebrate it with a win to start our college hoops week off on the right foot. I think we deserve to cash our ticket in 20 minutes, so let’s make it rain early, shall we?

Duke needs to win this game to keep their chances of catching North Carolina in the ACC standings, and it’s as simple as that. The Tar Heels and Blue Devils will play on the final day of the regular season on Duke’s home court, and the outcome of that contest will likely decide the 1-seed for the ACC Tournament.  Duke has to win this game for any of it to matter, however, and I think the Devils will come out guns a-blazing in the first half tonight. Duke is 10 – 2 over their last 12 games, and they’ve held 3 of their last 4 opponents to under 60 points.

As a result of the defensive efforts lately, Duke is now only allowing an average of 66.8 PPG which ranks them 48th in the nation. The Wolfpack offense will present some problems for Duke, especially in Raleigh, but the Devils will carry a 5-point lead to the locker room at halftime. 

I think Duke will eventually win this game as well, but that -5.5 might be in doubt because the Wolfpack will not go away quietly, although it is ironic that the Tarheels are the Wolfpack’s biggest fans tonight!

• Selection: Duke Blue Devils 1st-Half -2.5 Handicap
• Best Odds: 1.89
• Bookmaker: Bet365
• Stakes: 4/10

GAME INFO

• Tuesday, March 5
• Time: 00:05 UK Time
• Venue: PNC Arena, Raleigh, NC

N.C. STATE WOLFPACK VS DUKE BLUE DEVILS Odds

Odds are available as of March 4. Odds may now differ

N.C. STATE WOLFPACK VS DUKE BLUE DEVILS TRENDS

• Duke has hit the 1H Moneyline in 27 of their last 34 games.
• Duke has covered the 1H Spread in 10 of their last 15 away games.
• Duke has only hit the Game Total Over in 14 of their last 35 games.
• NC State has covered the Spread in 9 of their last 17 games at home.
• NC State has only covered the 1H Spread in 6 of their last 17 games at home.

N.C. STATE WOLFPACK SCHEDULE AND FORM

• The Wolfpack will only have one regular season game remaining against Pittsburgh on March 9.

The Wolfpack has lost 5 of their last 7 games, and the Blue Devils have taken wins from 5 of the last 7 contests against N.C. State.

N.C. State’s defense has been the reason that they have hit their match total Over 5 of the last 6 games. 

The Wolfpack only has four players averaging double-digits this season, and the drop in scoring production is significantly low because the Wolfpack has a thin bench. We will see eight Wolfpack players on the court tonight, and if there is any sign of foul trouble the home team is going to be in trouble. 

DUKE BLUE DEVILS SCHEDULE AND FORM

• The Blue Devils have one remaining game against North Carolina on March 9 at home.

Duke is 10 – 2 over the last 12 games with losses to North Carolina and Wake Forest in that mix. 

The Devils have taken wins from 5 of the last 7 games against the Wolfpack, and a win today means the North Carolina vs Duke game this weekend will have the world watching!

Duke’s offense ranks 41st in the nation averaging 80.3 PPG, and from behind the arc the Devils rank 10th in the country burying 38.4% of their shots from distance.

SAFER GAMBLING

At bettingexpert, we always take a safe approach to gambling. We’ll never bet more than we can afford or chase losses. For more advice, head to our Safer Gambling hub.