A pair of undefeated teams will square off for the ACC Atlantic lead when the No. 3 Clemson Tigers host the No. 16 North Carolina State Wolfpack on Saturday. Everybody expected Clemson to be in this position and the Tigers haven’t disappointed as they look for a return trip to the college football playoff. NC State has been a pleasant surprise in an otherwise down year for the ACC. And the Pack could certainly throw a wrench in the league standings if they pull off the upset as a 17-point road dog, giving them a tie-break edge over Dabo’s crew.
Watch this Week 8 matchup live on Saturday, October 20, 2018, at 3:30 p.m. ET at Memorial Stadium.
Opening College Football Odds at BookMaker.eu
North Carolina State Wolfpack +17
Clemson Tigers -17
Over/Under (Check Back Later)
There are only eight undefeated teams remaining at the FBS level and the group will decline by at least one this week. With both fighting for the top spot in the Atlantic, the opening line of Clemson -17 seems rather high. But a closer look tells us otherwise. NC State doesn’t have a non-conference win over a Power 5 team with its victories coming against James Madison, Georgia State and Marshall. Mother Nature didn’t help their schedule with a game against West Virginia cancelled because of Hurricane Florence.
NC State’s best win of the season came in its last time out with a 28-23 triumph over BC, but it didn’t happen without some anxious moments. The Pack was careless with the football committing four turnovers and nearly blew a 25-point lead by surrendering the game’s final 20 points. But leading up to the final 17 minutes, they looked good.
One thing NC State does well is extend drives and they frustrated the Eagles by converting 10 of 15 third down chances. The Pack leads the country in third-down efficiency with a success rate of nearly 61 percent and will need to hold onto the football to keep Clemson’s offense on the sideline. If they have success extending drives it will be time to examine the adjusted odds on the in-game betting platform at BookMaker.eu.
State has been so good because their offensive attack is well-balanced. Ryan Finley is a projected top NFL pick and he directs the country’s sixth-best passing attack by throwing for 1,611 yards with 10 touchdowns while completing 69.5 percent of his throws. The run game isn’t as lethal, but it’s strong with Reggie Gallaspy the leading rusher. He’s also scored seven of the Pack’s nine rushing touchdowns this season. Look for Gallaspy to get his chances when the Pack get close and lean towards him scoring a touchdown at some point on the in-game betting feature at BookMaker.eu.
The bottom line is that NC State hasn’t faced a team as stacked as Clemson this season and the likelihood of them winning outright is slim. Finley needs to have a big day throwing the football and he’ll get a chance. But Clemson is one of the best defending the air and Finley will struggle against a unit that allows just 153 yards through the air. It would be wise to go with the under on Finley’s passing yards total.
Clemson runs the football very well and there is no drop off between the backs who rotate in the lineup. The Tigers amassed 471 yards on the ground in their last game with three players going for at least 128 yards. It was their most prolific running game since 1981. Each of the three players also had a touchdown run of over 60 yards as the quick-strike Tigers amassed 66 points and played over the closing total on their own. Don’t expect the Wolfpack to slow down the running game and the chunk plays will allow the Tigers to cover the first half and game total on the live betting adjusted odds at BookMaker.eu.
North Carolina State at Clemson Live Betting
Most teams would be lucky to have one or two running plays of 60 or more yards in a season, the Tigers had three in their win over Wake Forest increasing their season total to six. They also added a few scampers of at least 50 yards in their last game and have exploded for an average of over 283 yards per game. Even if the Tigers play it safe by running the football, the adjusted in-game betting odds will go in their favor with their ability to hit the big play.
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