The Final Prediction: LSU Women's Basketball vs. North Carolina State in Sweet 16

Kim Mulkey and the LSU Tigers return to the Sweet 16 with a matchup against the North Carolina State Wolfpack set for 6:30 p.m. on Friday night in Spokane (Wash.).

Mulkey and Co. will look to survive and advance once again with an Elite Eight berth on the line against a fiery Wolfpack squad.

A look into the Final Betting Lines, NC State Scouting Report and ESPN's Basketball Power Index Prediction.

The Final Betting Lines: No. 3 LSU Tigers vs. No. 2 North Carolina State Wolfpack

(Odds via DraftKings Sportsbook)

Spread:
- LSU: (-3.5)
- NC State: (+3.5)

Moneyline:
- LSU: (-166)
- NC State: (+140)

Over/Under: 153.5 (-110)

Mulkey and Co. enter the Sweet 16 clash as 3.5-point favorites with the Tigers looking to take down the Wolfpack for the second time this season.

Know the Foe: Diving Into North Carolina State's Style of Play

LSU and NC State will match up for the second time this season. The Tigers defeated NC State by 17 in the championship of the Bah Mar Pink Flamingo Championship in November.

At the time, NC State was ranked No. 20 in the AP Poll and it marked LSU’s first ranked win over the season. The Wolfpack found their groove after facing the Tigers and lost just two games in ACC play, finishing in a tie for first in the conference. NC State reached the Final Four last year as a No. 3-seed.

“I think both teams are obviously better, and we just have a lot of respect for them,” Coach Mulkey said. “We don’t look at the previous game. We just think that we’re both trying to advance to an Elite 8, and we don’t really even think about that game (in November).”

Each of the NC State’s six losses this season have come to teams in the NCAA Tournament field, with five of those coming against AP Top 12 opponents – No. 2 South Carolina, No. 6 TCU, No. 7 Duke, No. 10 LSU and No. 12 UNC.

“They have four outstanding guards, and they’re not going to change their philosophy all of the sudden and become a post-dominant team,” Coach Mulkey said. “So we know what their strengths are, we know what their improvements are, and we’re going to try to win one more game.”

The Pack set several NCAA Tournament program records in the win 83-49 over Michigan State to reach the Sweet 16 with 15 made 3-pointers, a margin of victory of 34 and seven blocked shots (tied record).

Saniya Rivers tallied 11 assists, which set a new single-game NCAA Tournament record at NC State.

The ESPN BPI Prediction: LSU Comes Out on Top

ESPN BPI's Pick: LSU Tigers
ESPN BPI's Win Margin: 3.7 points
ESPN BPI's Win Percentage (LSU): 63.7 percent

Mulkey and the LSU Tigers will tip-off in Spokane, Washington at 6:30 p.m. CT against a fiery North Carolina State Wolfpack squad with a spot in the Elite Eight on the line.

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