FSU basketball: Noles travel to NC State as double-digit underdogs

FSU basketball (7-15, 5-6 ACC) will look to end a two-game skid when they travel to Raleigh, NC, to face the NC State Wolfpack (17-5, 7-4 ACC) Wednesday at 9 p.m. ET.

The Noles enter the game as +10 point underdogs with an under/over point total of 151. Those odds imply the Wolfpack will win 81-71.

NC State comes into the game winning four of their last five, with the lone loss on the road against North Carolina.

The Noles are 2-3 in their last five. NC State has a high-powered offense, averaging nearly 80 ppg with four players averaging double figures.

They rebound the ball exceptionally well and average 8.3 steals per game. They only average 9.9 turnovers and shoot 45 percent from the floor and 34 percent from three-point land.

Keys to the Game

Keys to the Game
FSU had an opportunity to give first-place Clemson a loss in their last outing and lost the game in the final seconds. They shot the ball well from three-point land but got crushed on the boards, which is an area NC State will look to exploit.

FSU has to do a better job with its shot selection and limiting turnovers. They also left some points on the table at the free-throw line, only shooting 70 percent in that game. FSU has to find a way to crash the boards in this one and limit NC State to one shot.

They’ll need big offensive games from Darin Green Jr., Matthew Cleveland, and Caleb Mills. Defensively, FSU has to find a way to be consistent on the perimeter and avoid allowing teams to shoot nearly 50 percent from the floor.

Freshman Baba Miller has seen his workload increase and had decent production against Clemson. His size and length could be a bonus for the Noles if he can play efficiently.

I don’t like this matchup for the Noles, but here’s to hoping they can get the road win.