March Madness: NCAA First Four NC State vs. Texas Odds, Predictions & Picks

The NC State Wolfpack takes on the Texas Longhorns in the NCAA First Four on Tuesday night in Dayton, Ohio. Tipoff is set for 9:15 p.m. ET on TruTV.

At DraftKings, NC State is a slim 1.5-point favorite with a total of 158.5 as of publication. 64% of spread bets and 53% of tickets are on the Wolfpack.

Either of these two teams is capable of beating a defensively challenged BYU team in the opening round of the NCAA Tournament.

Best Bet NC State vs. Texas: OVER 158.5 Points

Texas defeated NC State, 102-97, in a high-scoring affair during the regular season. The Longhorns made an eye-popping 16 3-pointers in that contest. As evidenced by that, NC State struggles to defend long-range shots.

The good news is that NC State can rip it from behind the arc on offense. The Pack ranks 10th nationally in making 38.8% of its 3-point attempts. That number improves to 41.3% from 3 in road games and those contested at neutral settings like tonight’s tilt in Dayton.

Quadir Copeland scored a career-high 28 points in the first meeting against Texas. Jordan Pope countered with 28 points for the Longhorns on 7-of-13 shooting from behind the arc. All told, seven players from both teams combined to hit multiple 3-pointers in a game that featured little defense.

Expect another high-scoring affair tonight, and for this game to go OVER 158.5 after nearly cracking 200 in the first meeting. 67% of the handle at DraftKings is on the OVER. This total will likely rise before tip-off tomorrow, so grab it now to ensure some closing-line value.

Best Player Prop for NC State Wolfpack

Darrion Williams OVER 11.5 Points (-120 at FanDuel)

Darrion Williams absorbed a hard hit and also dealt with foul trouble in the first game against Texas. He fouled out with 10 points.

It’s not hard to envision a much different game script for Williams in the rematch. He’s surpassed this number in five of his last seven games, making 17 3-pointers during that span. The shooting volume will be there, and this is our top prop tonight.

Best Player Prop for Texas Longhorns

Jordan Pope OVER 15.5 Points (-110 at FanDuel)

As mentioned, Pope had a field day from behind the arc in the first game against NC State, scoring 21 points on seven 3-pointers. He finished with a team-high 28 points.

Pope is far and away the best 3-point shooter for Texas. He’s made a team-high 75 treys and connects on 37.5% of his long-range attempts. NC State’s porous perimeter defense ranks it No. 287 nationally, as the Wolfpack allows 35.6% of opponents’ 3-point attempts to fall.

If you combine all three plays in this preview, FanDuel offers a same-game parlay at odds of +375.

• NC State-Texas OVER 158.5
• Darrion Williams OVER 11.5 points
• Jordan Pope OVER 15.5 points

Good luck!