The Stanford Cardinal take a trip all the way to the East Coast to face the No.25 North Carolina State Wolfpack at PNC Arena this Tuesday night. The Pac-12/ACC showdown is set to tip off at 9 p.m. (ET) and the game will be broadcast nationally on ESPN2.

The Cardinal may be poised to break into the Top 25 with a few more quality wins after posting a 7-3 straight up record in their first 10 games. In their only other matchup this season against a ranked team, they lost to then-No.13 Missouri 78-70 as 2.5-point underdogs on Nov.22. Stanford is 4-4-1 against the spread overall and 2-1-1 ATS in road and neutral-site games.

NC State has strung together three straight wins after losing to Oklahoma State and No.3 Michigan at the end of November. Overall, the Wolfpack are 7-2 SU and 4-3 ATS. They are 4-0 SU (2-0 ATS) at home and total has stayed “under” in three of five games this season.

Stanford vs. NC State Betting Storylines

Dwight Powell and Chasson Randle are each averaging over 14 points a game for Stanford, but as a whole the team is ranked 140th in the nation in scoring with 69.9 points a game. It has really struggled at times from the field in hitting on just 39.8 percent of its shots, which is one of the worst shooting percentages in Division I. It can hardly be considered any kind of a threat from outside with a dismal shooting percentage of 26 percent from three-point range.

Josh Huestis is the Cardinal’s leading rebounder with an average of 8.2 a game, and Powell is chipping in another 6.9 boards a game, but overall this is another area where they have been less than effective so far. Their 38 rebounds a game rank them 72nd in this category.

The Wolfpack have the potential to be one of the top teams in the country if they can iron out some of the wrinkles that have plagued them so far. They are the top shooting team in the country at 52.7 percent to go along with a 39.1 shooting percentage from beyond the arc. TJ Warren and Richard Howell have led the way with a combined 28.7 points a game. Both are also shooting over 67 percent from the field. Three other players are scoring in double figures, and the team is averaging 78.4 points a game.

One of the main issues for NC State has been under the boards with an average of just 36.7 rebounds a game. They have also given up 75 points or more in four games this season. They should be able to run and gun their way past Stanford on Tuesday night, but a bit more help on defense would also go a long way towards making this a relatively easy win.

Stanford vs. NC State Betting Odds and Trends

The line on BookMaker has NC State as a seven-point home favorite with a total line set at 143.

The Cardinal are 4-1 ATS in their last five games against the ACC and 6-2 ATS in their last eight games following a SU win. The total has stayed under in four of their last five road games.

The Wolfpack are 11-2 ATS in their last 13 games following a SU win and 4-1 ATS in their last five games against the Pac-12. The total has stayed under in five of their last seven nonconference games.
These two teams met last season in December, with Stanford edging NC State 76-72 as a nine-point home favorite. The total went over the 141.5-point line.

College Basketball Picks: Stanford vs. NC State Predictions

The tables are turned in this season’s matchup as the Wolfpack are clearly the better overall team. Look for a big night from both Warren and Howell shooting the ball as they help NC State avenge last season’s loss on the road with a convincing victory at home that more than covers the spread.

Doc’s Sports is offering $60 worth of member’s college basketball picks absolutely free – no obligation, no sales people – you don’t even have to enter credit card information. You can use this $60 credit any way you please on any of our top college basketball handicappers. Click here for more details and take advantage of this free $60 picks credit today.