Kansas Jayhawks vs North Carolina State Wolfpack Matchup

Read on to get betting odds and analysis in our North Carolina State vs Kansas NCAA Basketball prediction and preview and see who we think will win and cover the spread in Lawrence.

North Carolina State vs Kansas Prediction

The Wolfpack and Jayhawks are set to face off at 3:15 ET on ESPN. The Jayhawks will host the game at Allen Fieldhouse in Lawrence, KS. The over/under for this non-conference contest is set at 145.5 points, with Kansas being favored by -14 over North Carolina State.

North Carolina State vs. Kansas Matchup At A Glance

Sport: NCAAB
Teams: North Carolina State Wolfpack at Kansas Jayhawks
Where: Lawrence at Allen Fieldhouse
Date: Saturday, December 14th
Betting Odds KAN -14, NCST +645 | KAN -1050 O/U 145.5

Wolfpack Preview: Can The Wolfpack Secure a Road Victory?

NC State improved to 7-3 on the season with a 66-56 win over Coppin State on Tuesday. The Wolfpack were heavy favorites at -32.5 but didn’t cover the spread. The combined points of 122 fell short of the 136.5 O/U line.

NC State led 35-28 at halftime and added 31 points in the 2nd half while holding Coppin State to 28 points after the break.

Wolfpack Offense Breakdown

NC State struggled offensively in their last game, shooting just 36.7% from the field and 38.1% on two-point attempts. Their effective field goal percentage was 41.7%, and they hit 33.3% of their threes, going 6 for 18 from beyond the arc.

Dontrez Styles connected on 3 of 5 threes, finishing with 15 points and 7 rebounds. Marcus Hill led the team with 16 points, while Peter Oduro contributed 11 points on 5 of 7 shooting. The Wolfpack also grabbed 16 offensive rebounds and dished out 8 assists in the game.

Wolfpack Team Defense

North Carolina State's defense held their opponent to just 56 points, with a field goal percentage of 36% (22/60). They limited two-point shooting to 38%, as the opposing team went 16/42 from inside the arc.

From three-point range, the opponent shot 33%, hitting 6 of 18 attempts. At the free-throw line, they made 16 of 24, shooting 66%. NC State also allowed 16 offensive rebounds.

Jayhawks Preview: Can the Jayhawks Live Up to the Hype at Home?

Kansas dropped to 7-2 on the season after a 76-67 road loss to Missouri on Sunday. The Jayhawks, favored by 6.5 points, not only lost but also failed to cover the spread. The game’s total points of 143 fell short of the 153.5 O/U line.

Kansas found themselves in a 39-25 hole at halftime but showed some fight in the second half, outscoring Missouri 42-37. However, the early deficit proved too much to overcome.

Jayhawks Offense Breakdown

Kansas struggled offensively in their last game, shooting just 39.7% from the field and 34.8% from three-point range, finishing with 67 points. Their effective field goal percentage was 46%, but they did hit 81.8% of their free throws, going 9 for 11.

Tamar Bates led the way with 29 points on 9 of 15 shooting, while Hunter Dickinson added 19 points and 14 rebounds, shooting 53.3% from the floor. Kansas grabbed 16 offensive rebounds and dished out 13 assists as a team.

Jayhawks Team Defense

Despite Kansas holding their opponent to just 4 made threes, they still gave up 76 points in this one. The Jayhawks allowed 44% shooting overall, with their opponent hitting 48% of their two-point attempts (19/39).

Kansas also sent their opponent to the line 31 times, where they converted 26 free throws at an 83% clip. On the glass, the Jayhawks gave up 6 offensive rebounds.

Wolfpack vs Jayhawks Betting Odds, Trends & Analysis

North Carolina State has played well in their previous 5 road games, going 3-2 straight up. In this stretch, they averaged 66 points per game while allowing 64. The team also performed well vs the spread at 3-2.
Across their five previous home games, Kansas has an ATS mark of 2-3. Their straight up record in these matchups was 2-3 while averaging 65 points per game.
Going back to their previous ten games as the underdog, North Carolina State has an ATS mark of 6-4 while going 6-4 straight up.
As the betting favorite, the Jayhawks have an ATS mark of just 1-2 in their last three games. Kansas posted a straight up mark of 1-2 in these matchups.