Game: Virginia Tech Hokies vs. NC State Wolfpack

Date: September 27th at 7:00 PM ET

Where to Watch: The CW Network

This Saturday night in Raleigh, North Carolina, gives us a matchup between two teams that are still trying to find their identity at this point in the season. Virginia Tech is coming off their first win of the entire season this past Saturday against an FCS opponent. The offense for the Hokies has been largely stagnant all season, and particularly in the first three games of the season, the defense couldn’t stop much of anything. NC State, on the other hand, is coming off a disappointing first loss, coming in a game where CJ Bailey threw three interceptions, which doesn’t bode well for any team trying to win a football game. Defensively, the Wolfpack played their worst game of the season, allowing 269 through the air, 149 on the ground, and generating zero turnovers. For the Hokies, they have the opportunity to leave the first four games in the past and get off to a strong start in ACC play. NC State, entering their third official ACC game, looks to bounce back before entering a break from their ACC schedule.

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Weather

While it won’t be a windy night in Raleigh, North Carolina, this Saturday with averages around 4 mph and gusts up to 10 mph, there is a good chance for rain. Around the time of kickoff, there is a 77% chance of precipitation, and it’s expected to rain steadily throughout the day prior to kickoff. Temperatures won’t be an issue, as they will remain around room temperature or just below throughout the game.

Betting Overview

This one opened with NC State as a 7.5-point favorite and now books have them favored between 10 and 10.5. The moneylines haven’t shifted much, opening at +275 for the Hokies and now ranging between +265 and +325, while the Wolfpack opened at -345 and now sit between -330 and -425 depending on the book. As for the total, it hasn’t moved much, holding at 56.5 or inching slightly higher to 57.5.

Betting Trends

With Virginia Tech’s lackluster start to the season, it is no surprise that they are 0-4 ATS, given some of the high expectations they carried into the year. The over/under has split two apiece in Virginia Tech games. This will be their first road test of the season, so there are no trends to evaluate there, and it is also their first ACC game.

NC State, on the other hand, has split 50/50 when it comes to covering the spread, failing to cover in Week 1 and again last week in the loss to Duke. The over has been fairly consistent for NC State, hitting in three of their four games. The under only cashed in their opener against ECU. 

Final Thoughts

This game is shaping up to be pretty sloppy with the weather, which benefits the Wolfpack considering how effective running back Hollywood Smothers has been on the ground. If both of these teams have to rely more on the run game, this will become a battle of field position, as time will constantly be chewed up. I’m not particularly confident in either team to cover, but with the majority of sharp money on the under, I think that is the play in this one.