North Carolina State vs Clemson Predictions & Pick
North Carolina State has now lost five of their last seven games, but three of those losses could have easily been wins. That includes going on the road and forcing a ranked Virginia team into overtime on the road, as well as two heartbreaking losses against Pitt and Wake Forest.
Scoring is the top problem for the Wolfpack. Transfer DJ Horne has been fantastic, making over 43% of his field goals and three-point attempts. Unfortunately, the same cannot be said for the rest of the team. Fellow guards Casey Morsell (41.6 FG%, 29.0 3P%) and Jayden Taylor (37.6 FG%, 30.6 3P%) have been unreliable, especially from deep. Forward DJ Burns (11.9 PPG, 50.4 FG%) has been a boost, but he is not scoring nearly enough to compensate for the team's struggles.
The Wolfpack are a solid defensive team, ranking third in the ACC in steals (7.9 SPG) and sixth in opponent scoring (70.6 PPG).
Things have been going far better for the Clemson Tigers. They own a 17-7 record and hold the fifth spot in the ACC standings. They got a massive win on the road against North Carolina last week and lost one-point games to Duke and Virginia over the previous month. The Tigers finish the season against Wake Forest, meaning their chances to capture a top-four seed are alive and well.
Clemson’s defense is suspect, but their offense has been great. They are fourth in the league in scoring, averaging 78.9 points per game this season. Efficiency isn’t their strong suit, but they have a dangerous duo of scorers in center PJ Hall and guard Joseph Girard III. Hall is averaging 19.6 points, 7.2 rebounds, and 1.8 blocks per game as he has dominated down low. Girard has covered scoring from the outside, averaging 15.3 points and making 42.9% of his three-point attempts.
The Tigers rank ninth in the ACC in opponent scoring, allowing 71.7 points per game. They don’t register many steals or blocks and struggle to defend the three. Their offense has helped compensate for some of those struggles, which is why this team doesn’t have more wins.
We don’t think the Wolfpack have the offensive firepower to contain Clemson this weekend. We expect Horne to have a big day, but they lack another reliable shooter to back him up. The Tigers will get the win, but we see Horne doing enough to keep this closer than eight points.
How to Watch Duke vs. Florida State
When: Saturday, Feb. 17th @ 7:45 PM ET
Where: Littlejohn Coliseum in Clemson, SC
TV: CW Network
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