NC State vs Tennessee Odds, Pick
| NC State Odds | ||
|---|---|---|
| Spread | Total | Moneyline |
+9.5 -110 | 149.5 -110o / -110u | +375 |
| Tennessee Odds | ||
|---|---|---|
| Spread | Total | Moneyline |
-9.5 -110 | 149.5 -110o / -110u | -500 |
Below, we look at NC State vs Tennessee odds and a pick for Saturday.
Two squads holding three-game winning streaks look to keep the good times rolling when NC State battles Tennessee on Saturday in San Antonio, Texas.
Points could be hard to come by, as Tennessee boasts an elite defense, and NC State's isn't half-bad.
Both teams love to play fast, so this could be an entertaining back-and-forth slugfest even if the shots aren't falling.
The Wolfpack have great balance, with four NC State players averaging at least 13 PPG. As a group, Jayden Taylor, DJ Horne and Casey Morsell are among the nation's best backcourts. But their best player is truly DJ Burns, a brutal mismatch in the post.
After Tennessee opened the season with four straight wins, the Vols started slumping in the back half of the Maui Invitational. The Volunteers lost three straight to Purdue, Kansas, and North Carolina.
But they've righted the ship, picking up a massive home win over Illinois.
Tennessee opens as the favorite, but can NC State cover the number?
NC State Wolfpack
NC State limits turnovers.
The Wolfpack rarely give the ball away, only coughing it up on 13.7% offensive possessions, the 14th-lowest mark nationally.
As good as Tennessee is defensively, it usually isn't from forcing turnovers. The Volunteers are likelier to grind an offense down in the halfcourt, which could be problematic against NC State's balanced, quick-strike offensive attack.
Burns will have his hands full with the Tennessee frontcourt, as the Volunteer bigs rank 18th nationally in 2-point shooting allowed.
Nothing will come easy for the Wolfpack on Saturday.
Tennessee Volunteers
Tennessee has a smothering defense.
So, it was surprising to see North Carolina dice up the Vols for 100 points just a few weeks ago.
Tennessee has overwhelmed lesser opponents, holding six of 10 to 66 points or less.
The question is if NC State qualifies as a "lesser opponent" or not.
NC State ranks 72nd nationally on KenPom, and Tennessee hasn't posted a KenPom sub-17 loss yet.
The biggest reason to believe in the Vols this season is transfer wing Dalton Knecht.
He's a flat-out superstar scorer. While he's a liability defensively, Rick Barnes will trade some defense for scoring bursts.
Knecht is coming off his worst game of the season, scoring just seven points in 28 minutes against Georgia Southern. But I'd be shocked if he doesn't bounce back on Saturday.
NC State vs. Tennessee
Betting Pick & Prediction
KenPom favors Tennessee by nine, which aligns with the sportsbooks.
NC State already owns two losses by nine or more against top 100 opponents (BYU, Ole Miss), and Tennessee is the strongest opponent the Wolfpack have faced yet.
With a Knecht bounce-back likely, I'm betting the Vols cruise to a comfortable win, covering the three-possession number.
Pick: Tennessee -8.5
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