:format(webp)/cdn.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_image/image/72085942/usa_today_20220279.0.jpg "March Madness 2023 picks: Creighton-NC State prediction in First Round of NCAA Tournament")
The No. 6 seed Creighton Bluejays (21-12, 14-6 Big East) will open NCAA Tournament play with the No. 11 NC State Wolfpack (23-10, 12-8 ACC) on Friday afternoon. The game will get started at 4:00 p.m. ET from Ball Arena in Denver, Colorado, and can be seen on TNT.
Let's take a look at the odds and lines on DraftKings Sportsbook and make some picks.
No. 6 Creighton vs. No. 11 NC State picks
Spread: Creighton -5.5
Over/Under: 148
Moneyline: Creighton -225, NC State +190
Creighton finished third place in the Big East regular season standings and lost in the conference tournament semifinal round to snap a three-game winning streak. NC State finished sixth in the ACC and the last time we saw the Wolfpack, they were getting blown out by the Clemson Tigers in the conference tourney quarterfinals.
The two biggest strengths in this game are the Creighton offense and defense according to KenPom ratings, and the Bluejays have a significantly better D in this matchup. The Wolfpack could be without reserve forward Greg Gantt, who missed the previous contest.
Pick: Creighton -5.5