It's an ACC matchup of teams coming off bye weeks on Thursday night when the 24th-ranked North Carolina State Wolfpack host the Virginia Tech Hokies in Raleigh, N.C. Both teams also are trying to rebound from losses on Oct. 15, when N.C. State (5-2, 1-2) lost to Syracuse 24-9 and the Hokies (2-5, 1-3) suffered a 20-14 defeat to Miami. The Wolfpack are trying to hang on to their top-25 ranking despite losing star quarterback Devin Leary to a season-ending pectoral injury three weeks ago. They rebounded from a 30-20 loss to Clemson with a 19-17 victory over FSU, but Leary went down late in the third quarter against the Seminoles. The Hokies have lost four straight games, but they have beaten their cross-division foes in five straight matchups.
Kickoff at Carter-Finley Stadium is set for 7:30 p.m. ET. The Wolfpack are 13.5-point favorites in the latest Virginia Tech vs. NC State odds from Caesars Sportsbook, while the over/under for total points scored is 39. Before making any NC State vs. Virginia Tech picks, you need to see the college football predictions and betting advice from SportsLine's advanced computer model.
The SportsLine Projection Model simulates every FBS college football game 10,000 times. Over the past six-plus years, the proprietary computer model has generated a stunning profit of almost $3,000 for $100 players on its top-rated college football picks against the spread. Anyone who has followed it has seen huge returns.
Now, the model has set its sights on North Carolina State vs. Virginia Tech and locked in its picks and CFB predictions. You can head to SportsLine now to see the model's picks. Here are several college football odds and betting lines for Virginia Tech vs. North Carolina State:
- NC State vs. Virginia Tech spread: NC State -13.5
- NC State vs. Virginia Tech over/under: 39 points
- NC State vs. Virginia Tech money line: NC State -600, Virginia Tech +430
- NCST: NC State is 9-5 ATS as a home favorite over the past two-plus seasons.
- VT: Virginia Tech is 4-9 ATS as an underdog since the start of the 2020 season.
- NC State vs. Virginia Tech picks: See picks here
Why NC State can cover
NC State has been tough to beat coming off a week off since Dave Doeren was hired in 2013. The Wolfpack are 15-4 against the spread in those games under the head coach. Their far superior defense should be enough to overcome the loss of Leary in this matchup. They are allowing 311 total yards and less than 17 points per game, both second-best in the ACC. They also have 11 interceptions, tied for seventh in the nation. Their loaded cornerback rotation features Aydan White (three picks), Shyheim Battle (two) and Tyler Baker-Williams (two).
The Wolfpack offense hasn't been great, but it averages 27.4 points, while the Hokies score just 19.1 and give up 25.1 per game. Jack Chambers, who threw for almost 5,800 yards in 32 games before transferring from Charleston Southern, is expected to get his second start in place of Leary. He threw for 160 yards and rushed for 58 against Syracuse. Running backs Jordan Houston (304 yards) and Demie Sumo-Karngbaye (299) are both capable of carrying a bigger load. The Wolfpack are 7-1 ATS in their last eight games following a straight-up loss.
Why Virginia Tech can cover
Virginia Tech is 2-2 ATS in its ACC games this season. It has covered the spread in winning five straight against NC State, prevailing by double digits in the past four. The physical Hokies should make things tough on Chambers, who has completed 54.5% of his passes so far. They have 13 sacks, with TyJuan Garbutt getting 1.5 against Miami to give him 3.5. They also have been steady against the run, so they can challenge Chambers to beat them. Virginia Tech has allowed fewer than 110 rushing yards in four of its six games against FBS opponents this year.
The Hokies are 23-11 straight-up in Thursday games since 1994, going an astonishing 11-4 on the road. Grant Wells is an experienced signal-caller and has 1,439 passing yards this season. He has a playmaking wideout in Kaleb Smith, who is averaging 15.3 yards on his 28 catches, and tight end Nick Gallo (23 catches) is a steady presence. Wells has had some problems under pressure, getting sacked 13 times and throwing seven interceptions, but NC State has just eight sacks, fewest in the conference. The quarterback has accounted for 10 touchdowns.
How to make Virginia Tech vs. NC State picks
SportsLine's model is leaning Over on the total, projecting a combined 48 points. The model also says one side of the spread hits in more than 60% of simulations. You can only see the model's CFB picks at SportsLine.
So who wins NC State vs. Virginia Tech? And which side of the spread hits in more than 60% of simulations? Visit SportsLine now to see which side of the spread you need to jump on, all from the model that has crushed its college football picks, and find out.
