Game predictions: NC State at Notre Dame

NC State Wolfpack basketball continues ACC play Wednesday at 7:00 p.m. at Notre Dame on ACC Network.

The Fighting Irish (9-13, 6-10 ACC) are coming off of a 94-90 road loss to Boston College, and the Wolfpack (12-9, 8-8 ACC) claimed a 65-62 home victory over Pittsburgh in its last game.

Here are The Wolfpacker staff's game predictions for State's matchup with Notre Dame:

This has the feeling of a letdown game.

NC State has won four straight, and Notre Dame has lost three in a row. The Wolfpack didn't play well Sunday but were fortunate to be playing a depleted Pittsburgh team at home.

If the Pack plays the same way it competed against the Panthers, it will lose in South Bend tonight.

You probably think you know where this is going at this point but don't stop reading.

I'm here to tell you that NC State finds a way to get it done tonight.

It was at this point in writing this game prediction that my phone buzzed with a Twitter notification. The ACC announced the Wolfpack's regular season finale against Virginia Tech had been canceled due to more COVID issues in the Hokies program.

Instantly, I had to write up a breaking news story about the cancelation.

I believe this news to be significant to the outcome tonight.

It won't be hard for head coach Kevin Keatts to come up with a pregame speech today.

He just needs to remind his guys what they probably already know at this point. Tonight could very well be the last game of the regular season.

With this afternoon's news, the Wolfpack will pour it out tonight en route to its fifth-straight win.

Could NC State find another opponent to replace the Virginia Tech game this weekend? It's quite possible. But nothing is guaranteed this season, particularly this close to the postseason.

Notre Dame will come out with energy after being embarrassed by Boston College this past weekend, but the Fighting Irish have given up multiple second-half leads this season.

If the Irish take an early lead, don't fret. NC State will be 100 percent locked in to make sure it heads to Greensboro in the win column if tonight ends up being its last game of the regular season.

Game prediction: NC State 81, Notre Dame 76

Previous predictions:

ACC Game 1: NC State 79, UNC 75 (Actual: NC State 79-76)

ACC Game 2: NC State 87, Boston College 80 (Actual: NC State 79-76)

ACC Game 3: NC State 73, Clemson 71 (Actual: Clemson 74-70)

ACC Game 4: NC State 72, Miami 64 (Actual: Miami 64-59)

ACC Game 5: NC State 82, Florida State 77 (Actual: Florida State 105-73)

ACC Game 6: North Carolina 81, NC State 75 (Actual: UNC 86-76)

ACC Game 7: NC State 80, Wake Forest 71 (Actual: NC State 72-67)

ACC Game 8: NC State 75, Syracuse 72 (Actual: Syracuse 76-73)

ACC Game 9: Virginia 70, NC State 65 (Actual: Virginia 64-57)

ACC Game 10: NC State 77, Boston College 70 (Actual: NC State 81-65)

ACC Game 11: NC State 75, Syracuse 69 (Actual: Syracuse 77-68)

ACC Game 12: Duke 85, NC State 84 (Actual: Duke 69-53)

ACC Game 13: Pittsburgh 70, NC State 67 (Actual: NC State 74-73)

ACC Game 14: NC State 78, Wake Forest 67 (Actual: NC State 80-62)

ACC Game 15: Virginia 65, NC State 61 (NC State 68-61)

ACC Game 16: NC State 75, Pittsburgh 66 (NC State 65-62)

NC State and head coach Kevin Keatts deserve a tremendous amount of credit for its finish, winning four straight games, including three on the road. It could have folded down the stretch, but instead it rallied and played some of its best basketball. It appears to have found a successful formula that I think can carry into the ACC Tournament.

But it’s still young, with half its rotation almost comprising of first-year players, and that amounts for most of the all-important backcourt. I didn’t feel like NC State performed that well against Pittsburgh but got away with it because the Panthers have talent issues after losing two of its best players.

Notre Dame is not that good, either. In a way, teams like Notre Dame, NC State and Pitt are similar. They are the types that enjoy their moments of extended stretches of impressive basketball, but in hindsight you find that it was a matter of them reaching their peak.

For the Fighting Irish, that was when it won six out of eight games, its only two losses at home to NCAA Tournament-bound Virginia Tech and a two-point loss at should-be-NCAA Tournament-bound Georgia Tech.

However, it has since lost its last three games. It’s noteworthy all were away from home, where 10 of Notre Dame’s 16 ACC games thus far have been held. Meanwhile, NC State seems to have found its peak form whereas the Irish have come back to earth a bit.

Was the Pitt game a sign of NC State starting to come off its peak? For some reason I just have a feeling that the team that has lost three straight is due for a win and the one that has won four in a row is due for a setback.

Prediction: Notre Dame 79, NC State 73

Previous predictions:

ACC Game 1: UNC 79, NC State 70 (Actual: NC State 79-76)

ACC Game 2: NC State 78, Boston College 66 (Actual: NC State 79-76)

ACC Game 3: Clemson 79, NC State 76 (Actual: Clemson 74-70)

ACC Game 4: NC State 79, Miami 76 (Actual: Miami 64-59)

ACC Game 5: Florida State 79, NC State 76 (Actual: Florida State 105-73)

ACC Game 6: North Carolina 79, NC State 76 (Actual: North Carolina 86-76)

ACC Game 7: NC State 77, Wake Forest 71 (Actual: NC State 72-67)

ACC Game 8: NC State 69, Syracuse 66 (Actual: Syracuse 76-73)

ACC Game 9: Virginia 72, NC State 59 (Actual: Virginia 64-57)

ACC Game 10: NC State 74, Boston College 62 (Actual: NC State 81-65)

ACC Game 11: NC State 78, Syracuse 67 (Actual: Syracuse 77-68)

ACC Game 12: Duke 83, NC State 76 (Actual: Duke 69-53)

ACC Game 13: Pittsburgh 71, NC State 62 (Actual: NC State 74-73)

ACC Game 14: NC State 77, Wake Forest 71 (Actual: NC State 80-62)

ACC Game 15: Virginia 72, NC State 58 (NC State 68-61)

ACC Game 16: NC State 79, Pittsburgh 65 (NC State 65-62)

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