Multiple times each week, The Gaming Juice’s resident action seeker, Brad Evans, will attempt to blast the ‘books with his favorite selections on sides, totals, props, teasers or parlays. As always, fade or follow Brad’s picks — fading is encouraged — but that’s up to you.
The pick — SGP: North Carolina State +10.5, OVER 134.5 (+100, MGM)
Like Christian Laettenar, JJ Reddick and Grayson Allen before him, Kyle Fillipowski is the latest in a long line of ridiculed and despised Duke players. Many observers, this scribe included, still can’t believe he survived the Great Wake Court Storm of 2024. So brave.
Blue Devils disparagers unite. With Jon Scheyer’s squad squaring off against a fellow Tar Heel State member and a perennial underdog in NC State, bandwagoners are bound to galvanize against Duke in Sunday’s South Region final.
The Wolfpack have been called by some as the original Cinderella of the NCAA Tournament. In the 1983 national championship game, they upset Houston’s legendary Phi Slama Jama with an improbable buzzer-beating dunk by Lorenzo Charles that left head coach Jim Valvano frantically running around the court looking for someone to hug.
The play still resonates with a certain generation. It’s an iconic moment that will forever signify “anything can happen.” NC State hasn't been to a Final Four since.
Rather unbelievably for a No. 11 seed that dropped 10 of its last 14 regular-season games and needed a miracle banked three in the ACC Tournament to survive Virginia, the Wolfpack have more than a puncher’s chance of reaching the national semifinals.
Kevin Keatts’ club, like its color scheme suggests, is red hot. This month, NC State is No. 25 overall, according to BartTorvik, ranking No. 21 nationally in adjusted offensive efficiency. In those 11 matchups, it has netted an outstanding 1.204 points per possession, 52.0% from two and 37.6% from three. Precision-passing dump truck DJ Burns, Mohamed Diarra, DJ Horne, Casey Morsell and Michael O’Connell have been nothing shy of awesome.
The Wolfpack also increased their defensive intensity during that span, shackling teams along the arc into 30.2% shooting. Don’t let their No. 118 standing this month in effective field-goal percentage D fool you. Against Texas Tech, Oakland and Marquette, they have allowed a combined 1.00 points per possession.
Without question, Duke, a top-13 squad in offensive and defensive efficiency since March 1, is a formidable foe. Beasting on the offensive glass while tightening their defense, the Blue Devils have bullied teams. Their commitment to a slower grind (No. 300 in adjusted tempo in March) has simply frustrated the opposition.
The teams split their two games before the NCAAs. In the last encounter, a 74-69 Wolfpack win in the ACC Tournament quarterfinals, the Raleigh reps shot over 40% from three, limited Duke to only 0.99 points per possession and held their own on the boards. If a similar effort is employed, Jimmy V is sure to smile while sitting on a cloud above.
Via the SGP above, this trash talker is happily taking the points and joining the Pack.
Season record: 29-31, +3.45 units