College Football Week 7 NC State Vs Clemson Winning Favorites

Posted by Eric Williams on Thursday,October 13, 2016 5:05, EDT in

The North Carolina State Wolfpack will look to hand the unbeaten third-ranked Clemson Tigers their first loss of the season when they square off in the latest installment of their longtime ACC rivalry on Saturday.

Now, let’s find out if the Wolfpack can pull of the outright upset or cover the college football spreads at the very least.

Here’s A Closer Look At The College Football Week 7 NC State Wolfpack Vs Clemson Tigers Winning Favorites

When: Saturday, October 15, 2016 at 12:00 PM ET
Where: Memorial Stadium
TV: ABC
Live Stream: ABC Live Stream
NCAAF Odds: Clemson Tigers -17

 

 

Bet The NC State Wolfpack at +17 Because…

The Wolfpack are getting a ton of points. North Carolina State Wolfpack (4-1 SU, 4-1 ATS) has won three straight games and is coming off a hard-fought 10-3 win over Notre Dame last weekend that came in horrible Hurricane Matthew-related conditions.

While quarterback Ryan Finley completed just 5-of-12 passes for 27 yards it was running back Matthew Dayes that carried the Wolfpack with 126 yards on 23 carries. For the season, Finley has passed for 1,041 yards and nine touchdowns, while Dayes leads the rushing attack with 563 yards and three touchdowns. Wide receiver Stephen Louis leads NC State with a team-high 13 receptions for 328 yards and one score.

Bet The Clemson Tigers at -17 Because…

The Tigers are superior in all three phases of the game. Clemson (6-0 SU, 4-2 ATS) pounded the hell out of Boston College in its emphatic 56-10 Week 6 win last weekend to cover the spread as an 18-point favorite.

The Tigers won their 12th straight conference matchup as quarterback Deshaun Watson completed 14-of-24 passes for 266 yards and four touchdowns while running back Wayne Gallman rushed nine times for 109 yards and one score and wide receiver Deon Cain caught three passes for 68 yards and two touchdowns.

For the season, Watson has thrown for 1,568 yards with 18 touchdowns and seven interceptions while Gallman has rushed for 475 yards and five touchdowns on 88 carries.

Expert Prediction and Pick

I picked the Clemson Tigers to reach the four-team CFB Playoff after losing in the national championship game a year ago and they’re still my pick to get there in consecutive seasons. However, Deshaun Watson and the Tigers are not my pick to cover the high point spread against a North Carolina State Wolfpack squad that has been playing really solid football in winning their last three games.

While Clemson averages a healthy 38.6 points per game this season and limits the opposition to just 15.0 points per game defensively, but North Carolina State is virtually matching the Tigers on both fronts by putting up 34.0 points per game and limiting the opposition to just 19.6 points per game defensively. I know Clemson has won four straight in this series against their longtime ACC rivals, but this isn’t the past and now, NC State has a very competent defense.

The Wolfpack are 4-1 ATS in their last five road dates against the Tigers and a bankroll-boosting 8-4 ATS in their last dozen road games overall. Clemson has won 20 of their last 21 home games and I expect them to win again this coming weekend, just not by 18 points. NC State has scored at least 30 points in four of their last five games and will cover the spread in this ACC clash at the very least.

My Pick: Clemson 35 NC State 21