College Basketball Betting Picks and Predictions: Louisville Cardinals vs. NC State Wolfpack - Thursday, Dec. 22, 2022

December 22, 2022

It has been a brutal start and season for the Louisville Cardinals, who look to pick up a much-needed win Thursday night against NC State. The tip-off is 7 pm.Louisville Cardinals Betting PreviewThe Cardinals (2-10) have shown a little bit of life as they have won two of three overall after starting the season off with a 0-9 start. It was so bad some of the games they played in were laughers. They do not have a ton of offensive firepower and have issues scoring and if they crack 60 points in this game it would be a miracle. They are led by guard El Ellis, who scores around 18 points per game and will have to shoulder the offensive load because no one else on the roster averages more than eight points per game, which has really been the cause of the Cardinals' struggles. Aside from Ellies they do not have reliable players that can contribute on a nightly basis. If they were to pull off this upset, they would have to come up with a massive defensive effort and figure out a way to slow down NC State's Terquavion Smith, who is arguably their best player on the floor. If they can slow him down than on the offensive side of the ball, maybe they get some contributions from Jae'Lyn Withers, who nets about seven a game, but has scored more than 10 two times in games this season. Aside from their last time out on the floor, when Louisville loses they usually get blown out by about 15-20 points. They are 1-11 against the spread.Their best bet to a path to a win is to slow the game down, win the battle on the boards and when they have chances to knock down three-point shots, they better be able to convert. If not, it could be a long night for them.NC State Wolfpack Betting PreviewThe Wolfpack (10-3) have had a different season compared to Louisville. They have played well and have won two straight and three of four overall. They can score and they can make the game low scoring and ugly if need be. They are favored by 16 1/2 points. NC State is fresh off a four-point win over Vanderbilt, 70-66. They really buckled down late and played great defense to seal the win. On offense they are led by guard Terquavion Smith who scores 18 points per game, and he adds three assists and five rebounds as well. He is their primary weapon on offense; he also sets the tone as the floor general. Game Odds, Series Trends and Free Pick NC State is 7-5-1 against the number this season. They are also 3-2 in their last five games and 2-3 in their last five games against the spread. They are 2-1 in their road games against the number and the totals have gone over in two of their last five games. The Cardinals are 2-3 in their last five games and just 1-4 in their last five games against the spread and it is very tough to see a path to a win with really no offense. Persian Pick: NC State - 16 1/2