When the Final Four tips off, NC State will have both its men’s and women’s teams participating in the event. The same is true for UConn, making 2024 the first time that two programs sent both their men’s and women’s teams to the Final Four in the same season.
“It’s definitely big for our program,” NC State men’s basketball guard DJ Horne said Sunday. “Seeing the girls have success definitely motivates us.”
It’s been a miraculous run for the Wolfpack’s men’s team, which is an incredible 9-0 since the start of the ACC Tournament. They needed to win that tournament just to secure a spot in the NCAA Tournament, and they stayed hot from there to reach the Final Four.
NC State has notable wins over Duke (twice), UNC, and Marquette during its winning streak.
The Wolfpack’s late-season push coincides with the launch of legal online North Carolina betting apps went live, and the ACC Tournament tipped off one day later.
The Wolfpack are 7-2 against the spread during their winning streak, including seven outright victories as an underdog.
Wolfpack are longshots o301v
Despite incredible postseasons for both the men’s and women’s teams at NC State, the sports betting odds suggest the end of the magic might be near.
The men’s team has +2000 odds to win the national championship at FanDuel, the longest odds of any of the remaining four teams. UConn is the betting favorite with –185 odds, and Purdue is closely behind at +190. Alabama has +1300 odds to cut down the nets.
NC State’s Final Four matchup comes Saturday against Zach Edey and Purdue. The 7-foot-4 big man will pose a major test for NC State’s post players, including fan favorite DJ Burns, who scored 29 points against Duke in the Elite Eight. The Wolfpack are 9.5-point underdogs at FanDuel, with a moneyline of +340.
As for the women’s team, the Wolfpack are 11.5-point underdogs against undefeated South Carolina in Friday’s showdown. NC State’s moneyline is listed at +710 at FanDuel, and as of Tuesday morning, 93% of moneyline bets at FanDuel are on South Carolina.
Still, the Wolfpack are capable of testing the Gamecocks with five players averaging double figures in scoring. They have multiple options who can test opponents, including Aziaha James, one of the most dangerous offensive players in the tournament.
Like the men’s team, NC State’s women’s squad (+1200) has the longest odds to win the national championship of the four remaining teams. South Carolina (-200) is the betting favorite, while Caitlin Clark’s Iowa team is +300. Paige Bueckers and UConn are listed at +700.
Betting harassment issues 714h2l
While betting in North Carolina has been fruitful for NC State backers, the rollout of legal online sports betting hasn’t been all positive.
UNC’s Armando Bacot told Fox8 in North Carolina that he’s received recent blowback from angry bettors sliding into his social media messages.
“I thought I played a pretty good last game, but I looked at my DMs, and I got over 100 messages telling me I suck and stuff like that because I did not get enough rebounds,” Bacot told the network.
North Carolina allows college player prop betting, although the Ohio States, have prohibited college player prop bets as a result of the NCAA’s request.
The North Carolina State Lottery Commission told Sports Handle it would consider a ban if asked by the NCAA.
Banning player props wouldn’t guarantee an end to online harassment, however, as The Athletic recently reported that even benchwarmers receive social media hate for late-game mistakes that affect the total or spread in blowouts.
