The North Carolina State Wolfpack and Oakland Golden Grizzlies will face off in the second round of the 2024 NCAA Basketball Tournament. In the first round of the NCAA Tournament, NC State was in control of their game against Texas Tech from start to finish. Their second round opponent, Oakland, pulled off a March Madness shocker over Kentucky behind 10 threes from Jack Gohlke. With both teams carrying a load of momentum heading into round two, it will be difficult to make a NC State vs Oakland prediction.
Below, we will preview this NCAA Tournament college basketball game, providing data, trends, and analysis. Which school will win and keep their hopes of winning the championship trophy alive?
NC State vs Oakland Prediction and March Madness Expert Picks
2024 NCAA Tournament
No. 11 North Carolina State Wolfpack (23-14) vs. No. 14 Oakland Golden Grizzlies (24-11)
Date: Saturday, March 23, 2024
Time: 7:10 PM EST
Venue: PPG Paints Arena — Pittsburgh, PA
Coverage: TBS
NC State vs Oakland March Madness Odds
All college basketball betting odds for NC State vs Oakland can be found at BetUS Sportsbook.
Moneyline: NCSU: (-245) | OAK: (+203)
Point Spread: NCSU: -6 (-110) | OAK: +6 (-110)
Total: 144.5 — Over: (-105) | Under: (-115)
KenPom Rankings | Bracketology
KenPom Rankings are from KenPom.com
| Team | Rk | AdjO | AdjD | AdjT |
| NC State | 55 | 114.7 (46) | 100.9 (77) | 67.1 (208) |
| Oakland | 130 | 109.1 (124) | 105.3 (157) | 66.6 (240) |
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NC State vs Oakland College Basketball Trends
- North Carolina State is 9-3 in non-conference college basketball games this season.
- Oakland is 6-6 in non-conference college basketball games this season.
- The OVER is 22-14-1 in NC State games.
- The OVER is 21-14 in Oakland’s games.
- NC State is looking for their first Sweet Sixteen since 2015.
- Oakland is 22-13 against the spread.
NC State vs Oakland Prediction | March Madness Expert Picks
If you would’ve predicted this second round matchup prior to conference tournament play you would’ve been called crazy. NC State needed to a win a miraculous five games in five days in the ACC Tournament just to make the tournament. Oakland’s Horizon League Championship was much more predictable, but their upset of Kentucky in the first round was not. Adding to the anticipation, both sides boast players on the cusp of securing their places as March Madness icons. For the Wolfpack, 275-pound center DJ Burns is a problem in the post thanks to his skill around the basket and passing ability. On the other side, Oakland guard Jack Gohlke is one of the most unique players in college basketball, taking 347 threes and just eight shots inside the arc on the year. He made 10 from deep in the first round with many off-balance and contested.
As simple as it sounds, this game will come down to which team can continue their hot streak for one more round. If NC State regresses to their regular season form, Oakland will be able to execute enough on both ends to win. On the other end, it could get ugly for the Golden Grizzlies if they aren’t knocking down outside shots.
One key factor for this game will be how the Wolfpack handle Oakland’s unique zone defense. They mix it up on a possession to possession basis, being disruptive to the point that what they do isn’t always planned. NC State ranks 269th in the country in assist rate, a number that doesn’t bode well for attacking a zone. I believe Oakland can rattle the NC State guards somewhat and make enough perimeter shots in order to continue their Cinderella run to the Sweet Sixteen. For our N.C. State vs Oakland prediction, we are picking the Oakland Golden Grizzlies to win and move on in the NCAA Tournament.
