In the first of two highly anticipated Final Four games, the South Carolina Gamecocks and North Carolina State Wolfpack face off in Cleveland, Ohio for the right to play in the National Championship game on Sunday. The Gamecocks enter as the lone remaining undefeated team in college basketball, the top seed in the NCAA Tournament, and the betting favorite to win the National Title. NC State has come on strong since the ACC Tournament and has surpassed what many experts expected of them in the March.

Ahead of the day's matchup, how are these teams favored by oddsmakers?

When: 7 pm EST

Where: Rocket Mortgage Fieldhouse, Cleveland, Ohio.

How to Watch: ESPN

Picks

Spread +11.5 (-108)

• The Gamecocks are who I favor to win the matchup outright, but sports books have NC State too heavily favored against.
• NC State lost a game by more than 11 points just once this season, a 73-59 loss against Miami in mid-January when they were without starting center River Baldwin.
• The Wolfpack's guard play should keep them in this game and give them a legitimate chance to win.

Total Over 139.5 (-110)

• Both South Carolina and NC State play at an above average pace of play.
• Both teams are top 15 in the country in fastbreak points scored per game.
• With high pace and both teams looking to get out and run in transition, I expect more scoring opportunities and more points scored.

Moneyline South Carolina (-900)

• The Gamecocks are far and away the best team in basketball this season.
• South Carolina has a huge advantage with their frontcourt depth and post play, as NC State really only plays one true post, and the Gamecocks can throw 4 or 5 versatile looks on the court.
• South Carolina was on this stage last season, while NC State only has one player with Final Four experience (Saniya Rivers, who played at South Carolina when they won a National Championship).