Prior to the Atlantic Coast Conference basketball tournament next week in the nation's capital, the NC State Wolfpack and Pittsburgh Panthers have one remaining clash to close out the regular season.

For the Wolfpack, who currently hold the conference's eight-seed, a loss at Pittsburgh could cause NC State to drop in the standings. Should they fall to 10th or lower, the Pack will start the ACC tourney next Tuesday rather than Wednesday.

The Panthers currently sit in fifth place amongst the conference. Pittsburgh has been strong on the hardwood in 2024, and if they can manage a jump to No. 4 in the ACC, they'll be afforded rest until next Thursday.

Simply, both sides have something to play for heading into the regular-season finale in "Steel City." Let's dive into the looming matchup in search of authentic betting value.

All NCAA basketball odds via FanDuel Sportsbook.

NC State-Pittsburgh Betting Odds

Betting Odds: Spread, Moneyline and Total

Tipoff: Saturday (Mar. 9), 7:45 p.m. ET on CW Network

Spread: Pittsburgh -6.5 (-110)

Moneyline:

• NC State: +215
• Pittsburgh: -265

Total: 145.5 (-110/-110)

NC State at Pittsburgh Matchup Analysis

Before heading to Washington, DC for the conference tournament, the Wolfpack and Panthers have a score to settle. Each side still has skin in the game for this concluding bid of the regular season. So, who has the edge?

One month ago, Pittsburgh defeated North Carolina State in Raleigh as an underdog. That night, the Panthers held off a late effort from the Wolfpack, winning 67-64 on the road. Pitt guard Jaland Love was huge in this meeting, scoring 20 points on 7-of-12 shooting from the field.

Within ACC play, Pittsburgh has been a tad better at 11-8. In that same vein, the Pack has produced a 9-10 conference record. Eerily, both programs here have scored exactly 75.6 PPG, but the Panthers are superior on defense. In 2024, Pitt allowed only 67.3 PPG -- that mark lands in the 83rd percentile of college hoops.

The respective head coaches have each been at post for more than a handful of years. Wolfpack HC Kevin Keatts is finishing his seventh season in Raleigh while Jeff Capel has led the Panthers since 2018.

In particular, Pittsburgh -- a stingy team on defense -- will need to slow down the two DJs for NC State this Saturday: point guard D.J. Horne and forward D.J. Burns. Horne leads the Pack with 17.2 PPG while Burns is a dynamic enforcer. Either way, both players will need to work around (or over) Panthers seven-footer Guillermo Diaz Graham.

Through the past two campaigns, Pitt has overtaken NC State in the ACC pecking order. Additionally, the Wolfpack has not defeated the Panthers since the COVID-abbreviated year of 2020-21. All things considered, my lean is trending toward the home side.

NC State at Pittsburgh Best Bet

Pittsburgh -6.5 (-110)

According to numberFire, NC State (7.00 nERD) is ranked 79th in Men's Division I basketball. On that same scale, Pittsburgh (10.49 nERD) is a bit higher at 46th overall. That difference gives me enough confidence to lay the points on the Panthers (-6.5) in the Land of Three Rivers.

Pitt has won 8 of their past 10 games. Through, that recent batch, they covered the spread in all eight of those victories. For the Pack, they enter this regular-season finale having lost three consecutive contests. Further out, North Carolina State has dropped 10 of 13.

Basically, Pittsburgh has been the better side here -- both overall and recently.

Per ESPN Analytics, the Panthers have a 79.1% chance of winning outright on Saturday evening. From there, I don't mind taking it further with Pitt at home. Considering this number is seven points at some shops, I'm happy to lay 6.5 points (-110 odds) on FanDuel Sportsbook.

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The above author is a FanDuel employee and is not eligible to compete in public daily fantasy contests or place sports betting wagers on FanDuel. The advice provided by the author does not necessarily represent the views of FanDuel. Taking the author's advice will not guarantee a successful outcome. You should use your own judgment when participating in daily fantasy contests or placing sports wagers.