Game predictions: NC State at Wake Forest

NC State Wolfpack basketball continues ACC play Saturday at Wake Forest at 2:00 p.m. on ACC Network.

The Demon Deacons (6-10, 3-10 ACC) are coming off of a 84-60 loss to Duke, and the Wolfpack (9-9, 5-8 ACC) claimed a 74-73 road victory over Pittsburgh in its last game.

Here are The Wolfpacker staff's game predictions for State's matchup with Wake Forest:

NC State comes into this game with confidence after claiming its best victory in 2021 thus far with a 74-73 road win over Pitt.

Wake, on the other hand, does not. After the Demon Deacons took arguably the best team in the ACC to overtime in a 92-85 road loss to Florida State, they followed it up with a 24-point loss at home to Duke.

The Wolfpack was winning the last matchup between these two squads rather handily before fifth-year senior guard Devon Daniels tore his ACL. The sheer shock value of that event alone makes me give a pass to the Pack for letting Wake make it interesting down the stretch.

NC State is not a good matchup for the Deacs. Wake has problems taking care of the basketball, and the Pack is one of the better teams in the ACC at exploiting those issues.

Wake's offensive turnover rate of 20 percent ranks 227th nationally, and it forfeits a steal on 11.6 percent of its possessions, good for 329th among Division I teams.

The Wolfpack is 8-0 this season when it produces 19 points or more off of its opponent's turnovers. When State can only create 18 points or fewer off of takeaways, it's 1-9.

Assuming NC State doesn't encounter its own turnover issues again, I like the Pack to take care of business.

Game prediction: NC State 78, Wake Forest 67

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)

Both freshmen guards Cam Hayes and Shakeel Moore are Triad natives, having grown up in Greensboro, N.C. Hayes played all of his high school ball there, as well, finishing up at Greensboro Day, whereas Moore played prep ball at Moravian Prep in Hickory, N.C.

Neither seriously considered nearby Wake Forest. Moore picked the Wolfpack over offers from DePaul, Ole Miss, Pittsburgh and Providence. Meanwhile, Hayes canceled official visit plans to Louisville, Maryland and Tennessee to commit to the Pack.

But there’s always something about having an opportunity to play in front of the hometown folks, and this is about as close as Hayes and Moore are going to get.

Hayes is coming off his best game of the season, an 11-point, 9-assist effort in the one-point win at Pittsburgh on Wednesday afternoon. The first time these two teams played, Moore had nine points, three rebounds, two assists and two blocked shots.

My prediction is that, perhaps for the first time this year, the future backcourt of NC State both put up big performances in the same game, and the Wolfpack gets its third straight road win.

Prediction: NC State 77, Wake Forest 71

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)

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