The Boston College Eagles (7-22) will try to put an end to their 16-game skid when they meet the North Carolina State Wolfpack (14-15) at PNC Arena. Action gets underway at 9:00 pm ET on Wednesday, Mar. 2 and can be seen on EFC and ES3.
The Wolfpack are hoping for a better outcome after their 75-66 loss to Syracuse on Saturday. Abdul-Malik Abu recorded 14 points and 12 rebounds, earning his 13th double-double of the year. The Eagles, meanwhile, are coming off a 76-71 loss at the hands of Georgia Tech on Saturday. Eli Carter had a good shooting night, leading the game with 25 points.
Scoring chances at the line might be quite scarce for the Eagles in this matchup. They are 351st in the nation in FTA rate (25.2), while North Carolina State is among the nation’s least foul-prone teams (allowing a rate of just 29.4, ranking 34th in the country).
The Wolfpack come into this game 14-15 Straight Up (SU) and 13-12-1 Against The Spread (ATS). North Carolina State has averaged 57.3 points per game over the last 10 games, lower than its season average of 74.8. The rebounding edge goes to the Wolfpack in this matchup, who are one of the top rebounding teams in the nation with an average of 40.0 boards per game. North Carolina State has given up very few turnovers with an average of only 11.1 per game.
As for their opponent, the Eagles have 7-22 SU and 8-15-1 ATS records. Offensively, the Eagles have really picked up the pace in the last 10 games. They have exceeded their season average of 61.1 points per game by averaging 76.2 during that stretch. The last 10 games have really brought the worst out of the Eagles on the defensive end. They allowed 80.2 points per game during that span, which is higher than their season average of 70.0.
This is the first meeting of the season for these conference foes. The last time they played, Boston College came out on top, but North Carolina State still leads the head-to-head record, 8-2 SU, over their most recent matchups. The teams are even ATS, with a 5-5 record. When it comes to field goals, rebounds, and three-pointers, North Carolina State held the edge in all three of these categories once in the last five meetings. Boston College never did so in those games.
Predictions: SU Winner – NCSU, ATS Winner – NCSU
Notes
Ranked 90th, the North Carolina State Wolfpack have an offensive rating of 109.7. The Boston College Eagles rank 171st with a defensive rating of just 104.9.
The North Carolina State Wolfpack average a field goal percentage of 42.8% this season. The Boston College Eagles have an underachieving record of 1-17 when opponents have a FG% of 42.8% or greater.
The North Carolina State Wolfpack rank higher based on their field goal percentage (244th) than their effective field goal percentage (277th). The Boston College Eagles rank higher based on their effective field goal percentage (285th) than their field goal percentage (311th).
North Carolina State, the 73rd-ranked team in blocked shots, records an average of 4.3 per game. Boston College does worse, ranked 213th with 3.1.
North Carolina State is one of the best teams in the country when it comes to offensive rebounds, ranking 11th. Boston College ranks just 293rd in defensive rebounds.
North Carolina State has forced an average turnover percentage of 15.4% this season. Boston College has an underachieving 5-19 record when its TO% is 15.4% or higher.
