Clemson put a season-opening beatdown at the hands of Georgia behind them by handing out a beatdown of their own vs. Appalachian State last time out.
Now the Tigers welcome NC State to Death Valley, and the Wolfpack have struggled in the early stages of this season.
With NC State turning to a freshman QB making his first road start on Saturday, September 21, my NC State vs. Clemson predictions and college football picks see Clemson forging a sizable early lead.
NC State vs Clemson prediction
My best bet
Clemson -11.5 1H (-110 at BetMGM)
My analysis
Everyone was out on the Clemson Tigers following their 34-3 season-opening loss to Georgia, and it felt like the Tigers had something to prove heading into their next game against Appalachian State.
The Mountaineers are among the favorites to win the Sun Belt Conference and earn a potential College Football Playoff spot, but Clemson exploded out to a 35-0 lead in the first quarter of that game and never looked back. And with the way the rest of the ACC has looked through the first few weeks, the Tigers still appear to be firmly among the contenders to win the conference.
Another team that was hoping to enter the realm of conference contenders was the NC State Wolfpack. But it has been a concerning start to the season with issues becoming apparent on both sides of the ball.
NC State is supposed to be known for its defense, but this unit looks a little suspect. The Wolfpack allowed 21 points to FCS Western Carolina in its opener, which meant they were nowhere close to covering the 32.5-point spread. Then Tennessee blew the doors off them in a 51-10 win.
That was followed by a 30-20 win against Louisiana Tech, a game where NC State was favored by 20.5 points and needed a fourth-quarter comeback just to get the victory.
The other thing of note from that Louisiana Tech game is that quarterback Grayson McCall left with an undisclosed injury. This may have been a blessing in disguise because McCall has looked nothing like the guy who threw for all those yards at Coastal Carolina.
In came backup CJ Bailey, who proceeded to go 13 of 20 for 156 yards and an interception. It was enough to earn him the start this week in Death Valley. But that is not an envious task.
The Wolfpack have gotten off to some really poor starts this season. They were tied 14-14 at halftime with Western Carolina, were down 20-3 against Tennessee, and down 17-6 to Louisiana Tech.
With NC State running out a freshman QB making his first career start on the road in Death Valley combined with a defense that looks suspect, I’ll be betting on another slow start for the Wolfpack.
NC State vs Clemson same-game parlay (SGP)
Clemson -19.5
NC State team total Under 10.5
Cade Klubnik Over 254.5 passing yards
With no first-half spreads available for this same-game parlay, I'll go with an a full-game at -19.5 instead, staying below a key number in the process.
Let’s also fade the NC State offense here. I just don’t see how a freshman quarterback making his first career start is going to be successful in this environment against a defense that held Georgia to just six points in the first half and forced three turnovers in a blowout win against App State. So, let’s add Under 10.5 points for NC State in this matchup.
And while I may not be a believer in Klubnik, I do believe that he’s going to be able to move the ball through the air against this Wolfpack secondary. NC State comes into this game ranking 101st in opponent yards per pass attempt when facing FBS opponents and 104th in defensive success rate when opponents drop back to pass.
Klubnik was held to 142 passing yards vs. Georgia but exploded for 378 vs. App State. Somewhere in the middle for this matchup feels right, particularly when he threw for 263 vs. NC State last season.
Learn how to bet a same-game parlay with these helpful tips and strategies.
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NC State vs Clemson odds
NC State vs Clemson live odds
NC State vs Clemson opening odds
- Spread: NC State +17 | Clemson -17
- Moneyline: NC State +600 | Clemson -900
- Over/Under: Over 48 | Under 48
Odds courtesy of BetMGM
NC State vs Clemson spread and Over/Under analysis
- Some sportsbooks that posted lookahead lines for this matchup opened Clemson as favorites as just over a touchdown. But what we've seen this season from NC State has changed that perception drastically. The line reopened at Clemson -17 and even got as high as -20.5 before heading back down to 19.5 as of Thursday afternoon.
- Clemson appears to have edges all over the field, and with NC State starting a freshman quarterback in a hostile environment it could get ugly in Death Valley.
- The total hit the board at an even 48 and early bettors have hammered the Under, moving the line down four points to the current number of 44.
- Those bettors are expecting a bit of a letdown from the Clemson offense following their 62-point outburst vs. App State while NC State could have trouble scoring at all.
NC State vs Clemson betting trend to know
Clemson has covered the 1H Spread in five of its last six games at home for +3.90 Units and a 59% ROI. Find more college football betting trends for NC State vs Clemson.
NC State vs Clemson game info
| Location: | Memorial Stadium, Clemson, SC |
| Date: | Saturday, 9-21-2024 |
| Kickoff: | 12:00 p.m. ET |
| TV: | ABC |
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