The Kansas Jayhawks will try to snap a surprising two-game losing streak as they host the North Carolina State Wolfpack on Saturday afternoon.
The Jayhawks may be in a slump, but I expect them to easily dispatch the Wolfpack at home, as I explain below in my North Carolina State vs. Kansas predictions.
Keep reading to see my full analysis of this matchup in my free college basketball picks for Saturday, December 14.
NC State vs Kansas prediction
My best bet
Kansas -14.5 (-110 at bet365)
My analysis
After a 7-0 start, the Kansas Jayhawks were ranked as the No. 1 team in the nation. That run ended quickly after two road losses to unranked opponents over the last week.
That sounds worse than it truly was: both the Creighton Bluejays and the Missouri Tigers are quality opponents, and while the losses were still disappointing, they shouldn’t send fans or bettors into a panic.
Kansas gets a bit of a break on Saturday as they host North Carolina State. While the Wolfpack have won two in a row, those wins came over the Florida State Seminoles and Coppin State Eagles, the latter of which wasn’t much of a test.
The Wolfpack have covered in just one of their last five games and are heading into Allen Fieldhouse for their toughest game of the year thus far.
There are two areas in which North Carolina State will have trouble competing against Kansas. First, the Jayhawks are one of the country’s elite defensive squads, ranking eighth in defensive rating according to KenPom.com.
The Wolfpack has already been struggling to score, particularly from three-point range, where they are hitting just 31% of their shots. And while it has a balanced lineup with five players averaging at least 8.7 ppg, North Carolina State lacks a primary scoring threat to challenge the Jayhawks.
That issue will be exasperated by the lack of size in the NC State lineup. The Wolfpack play without a true center most of the time, and their primary forwards – Ben Middlebrooks and Brandon Huntley-Hatfield – each clock in at 6-foot-10.
Those two combined for only 9.9 rebounds per game, though that may not be surprising, considering they’re often battling with much bigger opponents in the low post.
On Saturday, they’ll have to deal with 7-foot-2 Kansas center Hunter Dickinson, who averages 15.0 points and 9.6 rebounds per game on his own. This looks like a matchup nightmare for the Wolfpack on both ends of the court, as Dickinson will likely get easy looks while also making it hard for North Carolina State to attack the rim.
Since the Wolfpack already struggle to shoot the ball from the outside, this means it will be tough for them to find scoring options this afternoon, while Kansas shouldn’t have much difficulty pounding the ball inside, then spreading the floor with guards Zeke Mayo (10.9 ppg) and Dajuan Harris Jr. (10.7 ppg) to balance the offense.
This should be a blowout win at home for the Jayhawks.
NC State vs Kansas same-game parlay
Kansas -14.5
Under 144.5
Hunter Dickinson Over 10.5 rebounds
I’m predicting a big win for the Jayhawks, but there are a couple of other bets I also like that we can use to build out a same-game parlay. I’ll combine my spread bet with the Under, as these teams both trend hard toward low-scoring games.
Kansas plays excellent defense, while North Carolina State plays at a slow pace, so the Under is the better side to play here.
I’ll also take Kansas center Hunter Dickinson to hit the Over on his rebounding prop at 10.5 rebounds. Dickinson has a significant size edge over the Wolfpack’s front line, which is both comparatively undersized and not particularly effective on the boards.
Dickinson should be able to collect plenty of missed shots and put up a double-double to bring home our SGP.
Learn how to bet a same-game parlay with these helpful tips and strategies.
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NC State vs Kansas odds
NC State vs Kansas live odds
NC State vs Kansas opening odds
- Spread: NC State +14.5 (-110) | Kansas -14.5 (-110)
- Moneyline: NC State (+850) | Kansas (-1400)
- Over/Under: Over 142.5 (-110) | Under 142.5 (-110)
Odds courtesy of bet365
NC State vs Kansas betting trend to know
North Carolina State is 1-4 ATS in its last five games overall. Find more college basketball betting trends for NC State vs. Kansas.
How to watch NC State vs Kansas
| Location: | Allen Fieldhouse, Lawrence, KS |
| Date: | Saturday, 12-14-2024 |
| Tip-off: | 3:15 p.m. ET |
| TV: | ESPN |
NC State vs Kansas key injuries
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