5:00 pm
December 1

Vanderbilt v. North Carolina State

Who will WIN this matchup?

Vanderbilt Commodores (5-1)

North Carolina State Wolfpack (6-1)

 

Current odds:

Vanderbilt Commodores: (+220)

North Carolina State Wolfpack: (-260)

 

• The line for this game is North Carolina State by 6 points.

• Vanderbilt looks to make it two straight as it adjusts to life without Darius Garland when it plays North Carolina State on Saturday evening in Miami. The Commodores exploded for their most points since 1970 in a 120-85 win over Savannah State on Wednesday, while NC State suffered its first loss of the year at No. 22 Wisconsin one day earlier. Garland, a five-star freshman who is touted as a possible lottery pick in next year’s NBA Draft, suffered a knee injury last week and is out for the season. Fellow rookie Aaron Nesmith stepped up in his absence, notching career highs with 20 points and 13 rebounds in the rout of the Tigers.

• The Wolfpack held a seven-point lead at the half but were unable to hold off the Badgers in the 79-75 loss in what was a playoff-like atmosphere in Madison, Wis. “I learned a lot about my team today coming into a hostile environment. A lot of disappointment that we lost, but it’s a lot of good things I can take from this,” NC State coach Kevin Keatts told reporters after the game.

• The Commodores shot an impressive 63 percent from the floor against Savannah State and are converting 49.3 percent on the season – good for fourth in the SEC and 34th in the nation. Freshman forward Simi Shittu, another five-star recruit, added 17 points, three rebounds and five assists, bringing his season averages to 16.2 points, 8.3 rebounds and two assists. Sophomore guard Maxwell Evans and junior forward Yanni Wetzell added 16 and 15 off the bench, respectively.

• The Wolfpack were held to a season-low 75 points at Wisconsin in what was their first true test of the season. NC State was able to control the flow and play its game for most the night, but a charging call against Markell Johnson with 16 seconds left thwarted the Wolfpack’s upset attempt. Johnson had a game-high 21 points to go along with three rebounds and five assists, while C.J. Bryce had a season-high 18 on 6-of-11 shooting.

• NC State is averaging 88.6 points per game, third in the ACC behind North Carolina and Duke.

• Eight Commodores hit double figures on Wednesday.

• The Wolfpack led for 31:51 on Wednesday, while the Badgers led for just 3:42.

5/10
Confidence
StreakSmarter Pick
North Carolina State Wolfpack
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