NC State at Clemson Betting Pick & Prediction

Posted by Jordan Walters on Tuesday,October 11, 2016 11:19, EDT in

I thought No. 3 Clemson might be caught in a bit of a trap game last Friday at Boston College with the Tigers off a huge win vs. Louisville. I was wrong as Clemson destroyed the Eagles. Things should be a bit tougher this Saturday when NC State visits Death Valley. Clemson is a only a 17-point favorite in online college football betting.

Here’s a Closer Look at the NC State at Clemson Betting Pick & Prediction & TV Info

When: Saturday, Oct. 15, Noon
Where: Memorial Stadium, Clemson
TV: ABC
Stream: WatchESPN
Radio: NC State / Clemson
Opening NCAA Football Lines: Clemson -17 (56)

Why Bet on NC State?

The Wolfpack (4-1) beat Notre Dame 10-3 on Saturday in hurricane conditions. NC State held the Irish to 59 rushing yards and its fewest points since being shut out by Boston College in 2008. It was N.C. State’s first nonconference win over a current “Power 5” opponent since 2009 and the fourth time, in 14 home games under Coach Dave Doeren, the Wolfpack had a win over a “Power 5” team. It also improved N.C. State to 2-0 all-time against Notre Dame.

Tight end Pharoah McKever’s punt block, scooped up by safety Dexter Wright and returned for a touchdown, lifted N.C. State to the win. The 6-foot- 6 McKever bull-rushed Notre Dame’s up back Nic Weishar and got his right hand up and got a piece of Tyler Newsome’s punt at 12:43 in the fourth quarter. Wright picked up the ball at the 16-yard line, bobbled it once and then controlled it long enough to get a key block from McKever, and score the game’s lone touchdown.

NC State could only piece together 198 yards of total offense, about 300 yards less than its average on the season, but ran for 157 yards. Matt Dayes finished with 126 yards on 23 carries. Dating back to last season, Dayes has rushed for over 100 yards in nine of his last 13 games played.

Notre Dame’s final total of 113 yards of total offense was the lowest for a NC State FBS opponent since Maryland had 91 in 2004. The Wolfpack’s total of 198 yards of total offense is the lowest in a NC State win since a victory against Maryland in 2005 (196). The three combined points scored in the first half were the fewest in a NC State game since 2012 at Connecticut (NCSU had a 3-0 halftime lead as well).

The last time NC State scored just 10 points in a win was also that UConn game. The Pack held Notre Dame to its first scoreless first half since the 2012 National Championship game, and the Irish’s 48 total yards in the first half were the fewest since 2008 against USC (9). Wolfpack defensive end Bradley Chubb was named the ACC’s Defensive Lineman of the Week. Chubb tallied five total tackles on the day, including three sacks for a loss of 13 yards and another half tackle for loss for two yards. The three sacks rank as the fifth-most in a single game in NC State history. Over the last two games, Chubb has recorded five total sacks in wins over Wake Forest and Notre Dame.

Why Bet on Clemson?

The Tigers routed Boston College 56-10. Deshaun Watson threw for 266 yards and four touchdowns. Clemson (6-0, 3-0 Atlantic Coast Conference) extended its conference winning streak to 12 games and its road winning streak to eight, which matches a school record set from 1978-79. Clemson broke three plays of at least 50 yards in the first quarter, two for touchdowns and another that set up a score. Watson’s favorite target was Deon Cain, who caught two touchdowns for the Tigers. Wayne Gallman surpassed the century mark on the ground, despite only nine carries.

“It was good to see us put somebody away,” coach Dabo Swinney said. “I thought we were undisciplined down the stretch [in 2015] with some of the big plays we gave up and big leads we gave up. … I think we’re ahead of where we were as a football team. Hopefully that will prove out in the second half.”

Gallman’s 59-yard touchdown in the opening quarter was his longest run of the season, and the longest play from scrimmage by the Tiger offense as well. Gallman went over the 100-yard rushing mark for the 15th time in his career, tying Raymond Priester’s record for a Tiger. With the win, Clemson has now defeated 42 unranked opponents in a row, second-longest streak in the nation behind only Alabama. Clemson has now won its last eight road games, tying the school record set in 1978 and 1979.

The Tigers are 77-0- 1 all time when totaling at least 200 rushing yards and 200 passing yards in the same game. It was accomplished for a third time in six games in 2016 on Friday. Clemson finished with 508 yards of total offense vs. Boston College. The Tiger program is now 88-1- 1 all time when posting at least 500 yards offensively, including 2-0 the past two games.

Clemson and North Carolina State are the two teams that control their own destiny for the ACC Atlantic division. The Tigers are 55-28- 1 against the Wolfpack. Among the 11 remaining undefeated teams in FBS, Clemson’s record has been the most impressive, according to ESPN’s Strength of Record. An average top 25-team would have a 6.6 percent chance of starting 6-0 against the Tigers' schedule, which includes two wins against teams ranked in the Top 10 of FPI.

My Betting Pick

Under is 4-1 in the last 5 meetings in Clemson.
Wolfpack are 4-1 ATS in their last 5 meetings in Clemson.
Road team is 12-4 ATS in their last 16 meetings.

Take Clemson and the over in online college football betting.