Oakland vs. NC State Expert Pick, Prediction for Round 2

C Jackson Cowart

Last Updated: March 23, 2024 4:50 PM EDT • 2 min 41 sec read. Twitter link Google News Link

Jack Gohlke #3 of the Oakland Golden Grizzlies celebrates as we make our Oakland vs. NC State expert pick and prediction for the second round of the NCAA Tournament on Saturday. — Jack Gohlke #3 of the Oakland Golden Grizzlies celebrates after making a three pointer against the Kentucky Wildcats during the second half in the first round of the NCAA Men's Basketball Tournament at PPG PAINTS Arena on March 21, 2024 in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. Photo by Joe Sargent/Getty Images via AFP.

The 11th-seeded NC State Wolfpack meet the 14th-seeded Oakland Golden Grizzlies in the second round of the NCAA Tournament on Saturday, as we offer our best Oakland vs. NC State expert pick and prediction based on the best March Madness odds.

After pulling off a pair of big upsets in the first round, the No. 14 seeded Oakland Golden Grizzlies (24-11) and No. 11 seed NC State Wolfpack (23-14) face off in a rare March Madness matchup between double-digit seeds. The South Region showdown is scheduled to tip off at 7:10 p.m. ET on TBS from the PPG Paints Arena in Pittsburgh.

The Wolfpack enter this one as the favorite across our best sports betting sites after upending Texas Tech in the first round, which came on the heels of its miracle run in the ACC Tournament. Oakland enjoyed its own first-round magic, knocking down 15 threes to take down Kentucky in a monumental upset that shook up the latest March Madness odds and Final Four odds.

As part of our March Madness predictions, here is our best Oakland vs. NC State expert pick (odds via our best March Madness betting sites; pick confidence based on a 1-to-5-star scale).

Oakland vs. NC State odds

Oakland (14) vs. NC State (11) expert pick: South Region

Oakland +6.5 ⭐⭐⭐

Odds: -115 via Betway

On paper, it makes sense that NC State is favored in this matchup as an ACC school riding a six-game win streak. But I'd be mighty leery of laying this many points on a team that isn't elite by any means - especially against an opponent that can shoot it like Oakland.

The Golden Grizzlies hit 15 threes in that first-round win over Kentucky, tied for their most in any game this season. But they'd buried at least eight threes in 10 of their previous 13 games and hit 14-plus in four of them, while tournament hero Jack Gohlke hit a combined 12 threes in his last two games before Thursday's 32-point outburst.

That all feels like a major issue for NC State, which features a so-so defense along the perimeter and benefitted from a poor shooting night from Texas Tech in Round 1. I'm also skeptical that the Wolfpack - which owns one of the lowest 3-point attempt rates in the country - is built to survive yet another shoot-out after its exhausting run over the last week.

For all of the focus on DJ Burns (6-9, 275 lbs) as a matchup nightmare for smaller teams, he played just 16 minutes on Thursday and grabbed exactly one rebound with four fouls and four turnovers. If he plays like that against Oakland, I don't see NC State running away with this one like these odds suggest.

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Oakland vs. NC State spread & Over/Under analysis

NC State is dealing as a 6.5-point favorite over Oakland after these two teams pulled off surprising upsets in Round 1. Entering Saturday, the Wolfpack are just 4-8 against the spread when laying that many points with five straight ATS losses in that spot.

The total for this game rests at 144.5, which is a few ticks lower than the final projected score of 77-70 via KenPom. Both of these teams cleared this total in their first-round wins on Thursday.

Oakland vs. NC State game info

When: Saturday, March 23
Tip-off: 7:10 p.m. ET
Where: PPG Paints Arena, Pittsburgh, Pa.
How to watch: TBS

Oakland-NC State prediction made Friday at 3 p.m. ET.

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Written By:
C Jackson Cowart

C Jackson Cowart is an award-winning sports writer, reporter, and editor with nearly a decade of experience in the industry, with previous stops at theScore, Action Network, Forbes, and ESPN before joining the Sportsbook Review team. He's written about sports betting for the last five years, with a specialty in NFL, NBA, MLB, and collegiate futures markets and a weakness for novelty props and betting on the eventual runner-up. He's also an avid fantasy sports manager and commissioner and runs a sports card business on the side. He's a fiercely proud Oregon native and UNC alumnus, and he can't seem to stop betting on Ben Simmons to win MVP.