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NC State Wolfpack v. South Carolina Gamecocks Predictions & College Football Odds

Written by Jimmy Boyd

The ACC’s NC State Wolf Pack head to South Carolina to take on the SEC’s Gamecocks in ESPN’s first college football broadcast of the season on Thursday, August 28th at 8:00 EST. BetUS Sportsbook has installed the Gamecocks as 12.5-point home favorites for this battle of the Carolinas. The total has been set at 48.5. Jimmy Boyd’s NC State/South Carolina preview will help you better handicap the big game.

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NC State is coming off a 5-7 season, which is actually pretty good considering that it started 1-5. It appeared to me that things started to gel between the first year head coach Tom O’Brien and his team midway through the season and the record reflected it as they rattled off four consecutive victories. One of those wins was over a Virginia team which won 9 games last season. The Wolf Pack have not won an ACC title since 1979 and they have not been bowling since 2005. The Pack could flirt with a bowl this season if they get solid QB play from Russell Wilson, who has just recently been named the starter for the season opener. The defense carried this team last season and defended the pass very well, ranking 28th nationally in that department. The defense will have to defend the pass well against a South Carolina team which averaged over 250 yards per game through the air a season ago (37th nationally) if they hope to pull off the upset.

Important trends to consider:

The Wolfpack are 4-0 ATS in their last 4 games in August.
The Wolfpack are 5-2 ATS in their last 7 games overall.
The Wolfpack are 1-5 ATS in their last 6 non-conference games.
The Under is 6-1-2 in Wolfpack last 9 non-conference games.

South Carolina missed out on a bowl game in 2007 despite finishing 6-6. Steve Spurrier’s team started the year 6-1 with big wins at Georgia and against Kentucky, but totally collapsed down the stretch, losing their last five games. Steve Spurrier’s teams are known for being able to pass the football, but an offensive line which gave up 31 sacks in 12 games a season ago held the Gamecocks back in that area. The defense was solid at times in 2007, but too many teams ran on the Gamecocks at will. South Carolina finished 109th in the nation against the run, allowing 209.2 yards per game. S.C. will have to do a much better job this season if Spurrier wants to avoid another long losing streak. Last season, Spurrier felt he had a team ready to contend for a SEC title and the confident coach did not refrain from saying so. He has chosen to try to fly under the radar in 2008, and that isn’t much of a problem since the Gamecocks are picked to finish seventh in the deep SEC. Still, there’s no doubt that this team is talented, but will they be ready to steamroll a, perhaps, underrated NC State team?

Important Trends to consider:

The Gamecocks are 5-2 ATS in their last 7 non-conference games.
The Gamecocks are 3-7 ATS in their last 10 vs. ACC.
The Gamecocks are 1-5 ATS in their last 6 games overall.
The Under is 4-1 in Gamecocks last 5 vs. ACC.
The Over is 23-9 in Gamecocks last 32 home games.

Updated college football odds:

NC State +13
South Carolina -13
Total is 45

Predicted Score: South Carolina 29, NC State 16

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