NC State vs Wake Forest Odds, Pick for Saturday

Two teams in the upper half of the ACC face off on Saturday in Winston-Salem.

NC State is a ways off of the NCAA tournament radar, whereas Wake Forest is considered just outside the final remaining spots, at the moment. That means this is an important matchup for both to inch forward.

Saturday will be a rematch of a January 16 duel between the two, a game that NC State won at home, 83-76.

From a record standpoint, the Wolfpack measure up pretty favorably to other bubble teams, but the predictive metrics aren't a fan of this team.

NC State is outside the top 75 in the NET Rankings — as well as Ken Pom — and there's also a lack of quality wins on the Pack's resume.

When I watch this team, I see a unit that really struggles to score the ball at times.

Kevin Keatts doesn't run the most complex stuff, and often times, the Pack are reliant on DJ Burns Jr. making something happen on the block.

DJ Horne has had a nice year and can be very explosive, but it feels like NC State is missing another guard who can make shots and attack off the bounce.

Wake Forest wasn't at full strength in the first matchup, and the Demon Deacons can really fill it up, especially at home.

The fact of the matter is that NC State is going to need to shoot well above its season average if it wants to have a chance to hang around in this one.

The additions of Efton Reid III and Damari Monsanto have propelled an already good offensive team to the next level.

Steve Forbes' team is also starting to crank up its defense across the board.

On Tuesday, the Deacs held Georgia Tech to just 51 points in a game they dominated from start to finish.

Cameron Hildreth continues to serve as a bit of Swiss army knife for this team, willing to do whatever he's asked on either side of the floor.

In the loss in Raleigh earlier in the year, Wake was poor in its transition defense, which allowed NC State to get out and run in transition.

Getting back on defense and forcing the Pack to score it in the half court should put the Demon Deacons in much better position for success.

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Wake Forest will be out for revenge in this game, and the Deacs continue to be really explosive inside the friendly confines of Lawrence Joel Veterans Memorial Coliseum.

I just don't see the Wolfpack being able to go blow for blow with a team like Wake that can stretch the floor with shooters everywhere.

I'd also give the rebounding edge to the Deacs, so don't expect NC State to cash in on many second chance opportunities.

This one has the potential to get ugly, as Wake would love to post another dominant victory as it continues forward on its quest for an NCAA tournament bid.

I'll lay the points with the home team here, as I believe the Demon Deacons have major advantages across the board.

Pick: Wake Forest -7.5