A pair of ACC teams will meet for a midweek clash when No. 24 North Carolina State hosts Virginia Tech on Thursday at Carter-Finley Stadium. Neither of these teams have had the season that fans were hoping for. The Wolfpack, who were a trendy pick to win the conference, are 5-2 (1-2 in league play) and have lost their starting quarterback for the year due to injury. The Hokies, meanwhile, are 2-5 and 1-3 against ACC foes.
This game will be played under the bright lights and televised on ESPN, but it might not be too competitive. North Carolina State is favored by nearly two touchdowns ahead of its matchup with Virginia Tech.
NC State-Virginia Tech Bets, Odds & Prediction
North Carolina State is still somehow ranked in the AP Poll and opened as a 13-point favorite in this game. The spread has moved up to 13.5 at the time of this writing but has yet to reach the key number of 14.
As for the total, the opening mark of 41 has been bet down to 39.5 over the last few days. Bettors are expecting a low-scoring affair, and it is hard to argue with that logic based on how these two teams have played as of late.
How Much Did the Bye Help the North Carolina State Offense?
After failing to reach double digits in a 24-9 loss to Syracuse, North Carolina State spent the bye week trying to make improvements on the offensive side of the ball. They have not scored more than 20 points in a game over their last three contests.
The Wolfpack’s offense will have to show progress without their starting quarterback Devin Leary, who is sidelined for the rest of the year with a torn pectoral muscle. Backup Jack Chambers, a graduate transfer from Charleston Southern, went 18 of 30 for 160 yards against Syracuse two weeks ago.
Chambers will have to be better after spending the bye week getting more familiar with the team, but it shouldn’t all fall on his shoulders. The Wolfpack’s passing offenses ranks 93rd in EPA (expected points added) per play, suggesting their problems run deeper than Chambers. It is up to head coach Dave Doeren to figure out a way to get more out of this offense.
Can the Hokies Show Signs of Life After Their Break?
Similar to its opponent, Virginia Tech is coming off a bye week and hopes that the break will help get things on track. The Hokies have lost four in a row under head coach Brent Pry, including a 20-14 loss to the Miami Hurricanes two weeks ago.
As hard as it is to believe, Virginia Tech’s offensive struggles have been even worse than North Carolina State’s. The Hokies have only scored more than 14 points in a game once during this recent skid. They rank 116th in the nation with an average of 19.1 points per game.
Quarterback Grant Wells has been solid in his first year with the program. He has thrown for 1,439 yards and seven touchdowns, adding 148 yards and three scores with his legs. He and the Hokies offense will have a tough time moving the ball against a Wolfpack defense giving up just 16.9 points per game.
Best NC State-Virginia Tech Bet
Conventional wisdom will say take the points with a total this low, but how many points can one count on from the Hokies? They have a team total of 12.5 at FanDuel Sportsbook, with the under priced at +100 and the over juiced to -128.
It is pretty telling that oddsmakers opened the spread so high in a game with such a low total. The Wolfpack might be missing their starting quarterback, but they should overwhelm an inferior opponent at Carter-Finley Stadium, where they have won 14 consecutive games for the sixth-longest active streak in the country.
Lay the points with the Wolfpack, and consider betting under on the Hokies team total for good measure.
Best NC State-Virginia Tech Bet: North Carolina State -13.5 (-110) on FanDuel
