
California vs NC State Prediction 2/5/25 College Basketball Picks Today
NC State (9-12) vs. California (11-11)
February 5, 2025 11:00 pm EDT
The Line: California -3; Over/Under: 139.5
(Get latest betting odds)
In this article, we will formulate a California vs NC State Prediction for this college basketball game on Wednesday, February 5th, at the Haas Pavillion. Let’s take a look at a California Golden Bears vs NC State Wolfpack pick.
When these two teams faced off on January 18th, it was Cal that ended up with the 65-62 victory.
What a Disappointing Year for NC State
It has been nothing but a disappointing year this season, and if they want to make the NCAA tournament, the only chance they have at this point is to make a run in the ACC tournament again. NC State has lost six games in a row and the last loss came almost a month ago against Notre Dame. They have been competitive in a lot of the games, they just haven’t made the winning plays late. They lost to North Carolina by two, against Virginia Tech by three, but in the last game it was a bit worse and they ended up losing 68-58. In the second half, they only scored 27 points and that led to the defeat. NC State only made 23 shots and eight of those were from deep.
NC State sits with a 9-12 record overall and they have gone 7-14 against the spread. Away from home, they are also 0-5 straight up. NC State is averaging 69.8 points while their defense is giving up 67.4 points per game. The offense is ranked 288th in the league while the defense is ranked 61st. The statistics on paper aren’t all that bad; they have just had issues closing out games. Marcus Hill is averaging 12.1 points per game. They have three different players that are averaging at least 10.2 points per game.
Has California Lost Confidence?
There has to be at least a little bit of concern about the confidence as Cal as they have suddenly lost two games in a row. Cal was favored in the last game against Syracuse, but they really struggled. They got out to a slow start, and by halftime, they were down 17 points. They tried to put up a fight in the second half, but it was too little too late and they ended up losing 75-66. Cal shot only 28.6 percent from the field and 17.1 percent from deep. If they want a chance in this game they are going to need to hit more shots, especially early.
The Golden Bears sit with an 11-11 record, and they have gone 11-10-1 against the spread. At home this season they have gone 9-4 straight up. California is averaging 75.3 points while their defense is giving up 75.5 points per game. The offense is ranked 159th in the league while the defense is ranked 293rd in the league. Andrej Stojakovic has been the top player for the team averaging 18.9 points while shooting 44 percent from the field and 32.1 percent from behind the three-point line.
California vs NC State Prediction
This total is too high. California and NC State are going to be involved in a lower-scoring game. NC State’s defense is ranked 61st in the league, and their defense is going to step up in a big way here. California’s defense isn’t elite, but the first time they held NC State to only 60 points and they are going to step up again here. There were only 123 points scored the last time between these two teams and that’s around where this game will finish. It’s going to be a lower-scoring game with the under cashing.