Creighton vs NC State Prediction, Odds & Best Bet for March 17 NCAA Tournament Game (Bluejays Thrive in the Paint)

Updated: Sep 10, 5:00pm UTC

Creighton vs NC State Game Info

2022-23 NCAA Tournament Game
No. 24 Creighton (21-12) vs. NC State (23-10)
Date: Friday, March 17, 2023
Time: 4:00 PM ET
Venue: Ball Arena -- Denver, Colorado
Coverage: TNT

Friday, March 17's 2022-23 NCAA Tournament lineup features South Region action as the No. 6 Creighton Bluejays look to fend off the No. 11 NC State Wolfpack.

Creighton aims for a turnaround performance after being embarrassed 82-60 by Xavier in the Big East Tournament semifinals. On the other side, NC State has been stuck in somewhat of a rut. The Wolfpack have lost three of their last four games, most recently falling 80-54 to Clemson in the ACC Tournament quarterfinals.

Which team has what it takes to get back on track and advance to the next round?

Creighton vs NC State Odds & Spread

All college basketball betting lines, odds and prop bets are from FanDuel Sportsbook.
Moneyline: CREIGH: (-220) | NC ST: (+180)
Spread: CREIGH: -5.5 (-105) | NC ST: +5.5 (-115)
Total: 148.5 -- Over: (-110) | Under: (-110)

Creighton enters this contest as a clear favorite on the moneyline and spread per FanDuel Sportsbook's odds. This 4 p.m. ET clash also features an over/under of 148.5 points with both sides available at -110 odds.

Creighton vs NC State Betting Trends

Creighton's record against the spread is 16-17-0.
The Bluejays' ATS record as 5.5-point favorites or more is 10-9.
There have been 16 Creighton's games (out of 33) that went over the total this season.
NC State's record against the spread is 17-16-0.
As 5.5-point underdogs or more, the Wolf Pack are 3-2 against the spread.
NC State has played 33 games this season, and 17 of them have gone over the total.

Creighton Rank	Creighton AVG		NC State AVG	NC State Rank
59th	76.6	Points Scored	78.2	35th
127th	68.5	Points Allowed	70.8	200th
35th	34.8	Rebounds	34	53rd
272nd	7.5	Off. Rebounds	10	55th
41st	8.9	3pt Made	8.4	67th
22nd	15.9	Assists	13	182nd
94th	11	Turnovers	9.2	8th

Creighton vs NC State Prediction & Pick

In a battle between two top-60 offenses, I have to give the edge to Creighton. NC State might average more points, but Creighton is the more accurate squad. When it comes to shooting percentages, the Bluejays rank No. 56 from the field, No. 83 from three-point range and No. 25 from the free-throw line. For comparison, the Wolfpack rank No. 138 or worse in each category.

Creighton also has the tools to take advantage of NC State's missed opportunities, averaging 27.2 defensive rebounds per game (No. 4). That number is helped by opponents shooting just 42.2% from the floor against the Bluejays (No. 72), whereas the Wolfpack is allowing a 46.7% field goal percentage over the last three games.

With NC State playing an uninspiring brand of basketball, Creighton won't have issues advancing.

Final Score Prediction: Creighton: 78 | NC State: 70

Creighton vs NC State Best Bet

For this game's best bet, I'm siding with Creighton on the spread. The Bluejays have accuracy and the paint advantage on their side, meaning they should be able to create some separation from the Wolfpack. Furthermore, Creighton is also 8-1 ATS in its last nine games played in March, whereas NC State is 1-5 ATS in its last six outings of the month.

Considering how NC State has also suffered two major blowout losses recently, Creighton has no excuse not to cover the spread.

Bet: Creight -5.5 (-105)

Devon Platana is not a FanDuel employee. In addition to providing DFS gameplay advice, Devon Platana also participates in DFS contests on FanDuel using his personal account, username PepeSilvia0. While the strategies and player selections recommended in his articles are his personal views, he may deploy different strategies and player selections when entering contests with his personal account. The views expressed in their articles are the author's alone and do not necessarily reflect the views of FanDuel.

Game odds refresh periodically and are subject to change.