COLLEGE BASKETBALL
NC State enters at 3-0 with strong scoring numbers, putting up 84.7 points per game while allowing 62.4. The Wolfpack also shoot 49.2% from the field, hit 40.0% from three, and rebound at a high level. Their KenPom profile is solid as well, with a positive net rating and an offense ranked inside the top 50 nationally by efficiency. Troy is 1-2 and has been far less efficient offensively, scoring 67.3 points per game with a 40.0% field goal rate and 29.1% from three. The Trojans are also giving up 76.9 points per game, which is the biggest concern in the matchup. Even so, Troy has played enough to show that its games can settle into lower-scoring stretches, and that matters against a favorite being asked to win comfortably in the market.
NC State owns the cleaner statistical profile in nearly every major category, but the market has pushed its moneyline into a range that leaves little value on the home side. The better position is Troy Trojans moneyline, with a projected upset in a lower-scoring game. Final score projection: Troy Trojans 74, NC State Wolfpack 71.
