N.C. State vs. Clemson Prediction
Is No. 16 N.C. State for real, or are the Wolfpack set to get hammered on the road by No. 3 Clemson this afternoon at 3:30PM ET?
Game Snapshot & Odds
Saturday, October 20, 2018
3:30PM ET – Memorial Stadium
TV: ESPN
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Public Betting Trends
According to oddsmakers at BetNow.eu, Clemson is favored at home in this game, as the Tigers are getting odds of -17.5 points against N.C. State. The over/under total for the contest is listed at 58 points. The public betting for this game currently has 68 percent going on N.C. State on the road. This information is subject to change, however, so be sure to check out our College Football Public Betting Page for updated figures on the game.
Clemson coming off dominant performance
Two weeks ago, Clemson put on its most dominant performance of the season when it defeated Wake Forest, 63-3 on the road. That moved the Tigers to 6-0 on the season, 3-0 in the ACC, 2-4 against the spread and 3-3 with the over/under total. Despite the poor record at the window, Clemson has covered in two of its last three.
The Tigers have been strong on both sides of the ball. The offense is putting up 42.2 points and 531 yards per game. Clemson has one of the top rushing attacks in the country at 280.8 yards per game. Travis Etienne is leading the ground game with 761 yards and 11 touchdowns. Trevor Lawrence has settled into the starting QB position. He has thrown for 868 yards and 11 touchdowns. On defense, Clemson is giving up 14.5 points and 261.2 yards per game. Their pass defense is limiting opponents to just 152.8 yards per game.
N.C. State a surprising unbeaten
N.C. State is probably the most surprising team in football right now as it is off to a 5-0 start to the year. Granted, the Wolfpack haven’t had much of a schedule. Their biggest win was two weeks ago over Boston College, 28-23. N.C. State is 5-0 overall, 2-0 in the ACC, 3-2 against the spread and 3-2 with the under. The Wolfpack did cover in their lone road game at Marshall.
The Wolfpack are playing quite well on defense thus far, allowing just 16.8 points and 341.4 yards per game. Offensively, N.C. State is putting up 33.0 points and 480.2 yards per contest. Their passing attack is putting up 335.4 yards per game. Ryan Finley has thrown for 1,621 yards and 10 touchdowns to lead the attack while Kelvin Harmon has caught 33 passes for 534 yards. On the ground, Reggie Gallaspy II has rushed for 324 yards and seven touchdowns.
College Football Betting Trends
Clemson
Clemson has failed to cover the spread in four straight home games and the Tigers are just 1-4-1 ATS in their last six games in October.
N.C. State
N.C. State is 7-2-1 against the spread in its last 10 road games and 4-1 ATS in their last five against a team with a winning record.
Prediction:
The spread is quite large for a game featuring two top-20 teams, but N.C. State has truly not played anyone of note this year. They are coming off a 28-23 win at home over Boston College and had a 35-21 home win at Virginia. Clemson has looked pretty good under Lawrence at QB. They beat Georgia Tech by 28 on the road and won by 60 two weeks ago at Wake. While Cuse almost upset the Tigers at home, Lawrence was lost early in the game. With Clemson at full strength, I think the Tigers will overwhelm N.C. State on both sides of the ball.
College Football Prediction: Clemson -17.5
