NC State vs Clemson Odds, Preview and College Football Betting Pick

• Two ACC teams meet in a top-10 ranked matchup in CFB week 5
• The Tigers are a touchdown favorite in the NC State vs Clemson odds
• Read below for our college football betting pick for Saturday night

This Saturday will be the first day of October and it already feels like we’ve got a game with massive College Football Playoff implications. The #10 Wolfpack head to Death Valley to take on #5 Clemson on Saturday night. The Tigers have won 8 of the last 9 meetings between the two teams, but NC State pulled off the upset last season. The NC State vs Clemson odds once again have the Wolfpack as underdogs.

Both teams come into this game unbeaten, but not without a few bumps along the road. NC State was a short East Carolina field goal away from starting 0-1. While Clemson needed double overtime to take down conference rival Wake Forest last weekend. The winner has an excellent chance to be playing for an ACC Championship!

NC State vs Clemson Odds

Odds courtesy of BetMGM!

Ontario sports betting markets have Clemson as 7-point favorites at pretty well every sportsbook. The only exception being DraftKings Sportsbook, which has Clemson at -6.5 with the odds shifted to -120. The Wolfpack haven’t faired well as road underdogs, since 2017 they have a record of just 3-8 against the spread.

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Clemson Looks to Exact Revenge Over NC State

Clemson is looking to bounce back from a 2021 loss to NC State, now they have the benefit of playing  at home in this one. The offense was able to answer some questions in a soft matchup against Wake Forest. DJ has been able to hit some big plays, ranking 21st in the nation in air yards while also only throwing just one interception. He’s got continuity at receiver with Beaux Collins, Antonio Williams and Joseph Ngata.

The Tigers deploy a balanced offense, running the ball on 50.8% of plays. Will Shipley leads the way on the ground, averaging 6.8 yards per attempt and 7 rushing TD’s. This will be their toughest defensive opponent yet, so it will be interesting see if the play calling becomes a little more risk-averse.

DJ Uiagalelei had himself a DAY against the Deacs 🚀 pic.twitter.com/4egGMB6deR

— 247Sports (@247Sports) September 24, 2022

The defense is stacked up front, with players like Bryan Bresee and Tyler Davis jamming up the interior. You do not want to run the ball against the Tigers, the defensive is allowing just 3.1 yards per carry and stuffing opponents at the line of scrimmage at a 25% rate. Add in the fact they’re pressuring opposing QB’s at a 32.9% rate and this group lives in the backfield. The problem though is the secondary, which is inexperienced and allowing 271.3 yards per game through the air.

#10 NC State Road Underdog in Week 5 CFB Odds

The Wolfpack are a frustrating team to watch on the offensive side of the football. They’re lucky enough to have one of the most talented quarterbacks in the ACC in Devin Leary, but still insist on running the football at a 48.8% rate. When you’re going up against a defense like Clemson’s you need to put the ball in the air. Wide receivers Devin Carter and Thayer Thomas can take advantage of this Tigers secondary.

The major question for NC State offensively will be how their offensive line can hold up. Even with the loss of Ikem Ekwonu there are still returning parts and they’ve played well so far. They have the 17th lowest pressure rate allowed and just a 3.3% sack rate. The ground game hasn’t been as successful, ranking 80th in stuff rate.

The defense benefits from returning 88% of it’s production from 2021, only 4 other teams return more. It’s been balling out early on too, allowing just 14.7 points per game and 4.7 yards per play. The secondary is the strength of the group, allowing just a 56.2% completion percentage and the 5th lowest QBR against.

NC State vs Clemson Betting Pick

The Clemson offensive performance seems to have made a significant impression on the betting public last week. They’re receiving 66% of bets at DraftKings at the time of writing. But Wake Forest had one of the worst passing defenses in the country last season. Now they matchup with arguably the best secondary in the country.

On the other side, I like what NC State can do to attack Clemson’s back seven. While the interior of their offensive line can do enough to slow down a Clemson front four that hasn’t been able to turn it’s high pressure rate into sacks. This is a tough task on the road but I like NC State to keep this game within a touchdown.

Pick: NC State +7 (-110) at BetMGM