The No. 11 seed North Carolina State Wolfpack hope to extend their season with an eighth consecutive victory when they meet the second-seeded Marquette Golden Eagles on Friday in the South Region semifinals of the 2024 NCAA Tournament. NC State (24-14) ended its regular season with a four-game losing streak but has won seven straight since then, including triumphs over Texas Tech and Oakland during March Madness. Marquette (27-9) used a dominant second half to defeat Western Kentucky 87-69 in its first-round contest and advanced to the Sweet 16 by edging Colorado 81-77 on Sunday.
Tipoff from American Airlines Center in Dallas is set for 7:09 p.m. ET. The Golden Eagles are 7-point favorites in the latest Marquette vs. NC State odds via SportsLine consensus, while the over/under for total points scored is 151. Before entering any NC State vs. Marquette picks, make sure you see the college basketball predictions and betting advice from the SportsLine Projection Model.
The model simulates every Division I college basketball game 10,000 times. It enters the Sweet 16 round of the 2024 NCAA tournament on a 152-109 roll on all top-rated college basketball picks dating back to last season, returning more than $1,800 for $100 players. It also has a strong 32-21 (+890) record on top-rated spread picks this season, and it called 13 Sweet 16 teams this year. Anyone following has seen huge returns.
Now, the model has set its sights on Marquette vs. NC State and revealed its March Madness picks and predictions. You can head to SportsLine now to see the model's picks. Here are several college basketball odds and trends for NC State vs. Marquette:
- Marquette vs. NC State spread: Marquette -7
- Marquette vs. NC State over/under: 151 points
- Marquette vs. NC State money line: Marquette -305, NC State +243
- NCSU: 17-18-2 ATS this season
- MAR: 21-14-1 ATS this season
- Marquette vs. NC State picks: See picks at SportsLine
Why Marquette can cover
After being held to 57 points by Connecticut in the Big East Tournament championship game, the Golden Eagles have returned to their high-scoring ways in "The Big Dance." The club had four players score in double figures in its first-round victory and five members record 10 or more points in the Round-of-32 triumph. Junior guard Kam Jones and junior forward David Joplin reached double digits in both contests, while senior guard Tyler Kolek posted back-to-back double-doubles after missing Marquette's previous six games with an oblique injury.
Jones led all players with 28 points against Western Kentucky in the opening round and poured in 18 versus Colorado, making a total of nine 3-pointers in the wins. Joplin recorded his first career double-double last Friday as he scored 13 points and pulled down 11 rebounds against the Hilltoppers. Kolek had 18 points and 11 assists in that contest, then proceeded to score a game-high 21 points and dish out 11 more assists on Sunday. He has matched the school record for most assists in an NCAA Tournament game, which was set in 2003 by Dwyane Wade, twice in three days. See which team to pick here.
Why NC State can cover
DJ Burns Jr. made a statement in the Wolfpack's overtime win against Oakland on Saturday, scoring a team-high 24 points on 9-of-12 shooting and pulling down 11 rebounds for his second double-double of the season. With that effort, the senior forward became the first NC State player since 1985 to record at least 20 points and 10 boards in an NCAA Tournament game. Senior guard Michael O'Connell poured in 12 points and dished out a season-high eight assists, the most by a member of the Wolfpack this campaign.
Burns was not the only NC State player to register a double-double versus the Golden Grizzlies, as Mohamed Diarra registered 11 points and 13 rebounds in the victory. It was the sixth double-double of the season and third in a row for the junior forward, who has reached double figures in boards on 13 occasions in 2023-24. Senior guards DJ Horne, who leads the Wolfpack with an average of 16.7 points, and Casey Morsell also finished with 11 points on Saturday as all five starters scored in double figures. See which team to pick here.
How to make NC State vs. Marquette picks
SportsLine's model is leaning Over on the total, projecting 153 combined points. The model also says one side of the spread hits in well over 50% of simulations. You can only see the model's picks at SportsLine.
So who wins NC State vs. Marquette, and which side of the spread hits well over 50% of the time? Visit SportsLine now to see which side of the spread you need to jump on, all from the model on a 32-21 roll on top-ranked college basketball spread picks, and find out.
