NC State heads to the Dome for a matchup with ACC Tournament implications. Keep reading for a full Syracuse vs NC State prediction.
Syracuse leads the all-time series with North Carolina State 14-7, with the Wolfpack winning the last game between the two in the 2024 ACC Tournament. It was the first game en route to NC State’s shocking ACC Tournament Championship as the 10 seed, winning five games in five days.
The Wolfpack haven’t won in the Dome since February 11th, 2020. Syracuse and NC State are both dangerously close to missing the ACC Tournament in the new-look 18 team conference. Three teams will miss, and tonight’s game has massive implications…
Game information:
Teams: Syracuse (11-16, 5-11) and North Carolina State (11-16, 4-12)
Tip-off: 7:00 p.m. EST
Watch: ESPNU
Listen: Syracuse Sports Network/ WCCP 105.5 FM
Latest on NC State basketball:
NC State currently sits in 16th place in the ACC standings at 4-12, but winning two of their last three games. They just beat a tournament hopeful Wake Forest squad by 12 on their home-court. But they haven’t won a road game all season (0-8). Three of their final four games come away from Raleigh, NC.
The Wolfpack don’t do much well, but they are very careful with the ball. They average only nine turnovers a game, tied for 13th best mark in the country. They also are one of the slowest paced teams in the country, averaging 64.1 possessions a game. That’s tied for 328th in Division I. Marcus Hill is their best player, averaging 12.1 points per game, while shooting 46.8% from the field.
If NC State beats Syracuse, they’ll own the head-to-head tiebreaker in the ACC Standings. They also own the tiebreaker over fellow bottom dweller Boston College. And their final game is on the road at Miami (18th in the ACC). If NC State wins tonight, they will control their own destiny to get back to the ACC Tournament to try to defend their title.
Latest on Syracuse basketball:
Syracuse basketball has lost three straight, in all completely different fashions. They lost on the road to a Miami team 91-84, in a game that was never really close. They lost in a nail biter at home to North Carolina 88-82, and they lost at Pittsburgh in a game where they led by as many as 16. It’s safe to say, they can break your heart in many ways.
But the Orange haven’t played in eight days. Hopefully they’ll be well rested to take on this chippy NC State squad. In the road game at Pittsburgh, Chris Bell went off. He had 23 points on 7/12 shooting from downtown. J.J. Starling was second in scoring for Syracuse, knotting 14 points. But the problems came defensively. They let the Panthers get to the line 24 times (more than half of the Orange’s trip to the stripe), and double them up in points in the paint (28 to 14).
Syracuse controls their own destiny to make it to the ACC Tournament. But if they lose tonight, it will get dicey…
Syracuse vs NC State Prediction: Syracuse by 2
Syracuse should win the battle on the boards all night. DJ Burns is not coming through that door for NC State, and Eddie Lampkin Jr. is one of the largest presences in the ACC. That’s why the Orange average 34.2 rebounds a game (good for 68th in the country, compared to 311th for NC State). Also, NC State hasn’t won a road game this entire season. I expect that to continue in the Dome, in a nail-biter.