Seminoles open as 3-point favorites at NC State
Florida State sits atop the ACC's Atlantic Division with a 4-0 conference mark. That unbeaten record will be tested Thursday night when the Seminoles travel to Raleigh to meet the North Carolina State Wolfpack in an ESPN broadcast. The 'Noles have been winners on the scoreboard when battling the 'Pack in recent years, but it's NC State that has been cashing tickets for college football spread bettors.
There aren’t many certainties in college football. Just ask the trio of No. 1 teams (whether in the AP Poll or the BCS standings) that have gone down swinging over the past few weeks.
That being the case, there are some sturdy trends that have stood the test of changing rosters, coaching staffs, and game plans.
Bettors are faced with one the surest realities on the college football betting odds board when No. 16 Florida State (6-1 SU, 5-2 ATS) takes on North Carolina State (5-2 SU, 5-2 ATS) in Raleigh on Thursday night (7:30 p.m. ET, ESPN).
The Seminoles have more or less had their way with the Wolfpack on the scoreboard over the last decade, but the same can’t be said at the window. Florida State hasn’t covered the spread against NC State since its 58-14 win at Carter-Finley Stadium back in 2000.
The Wolfpack has been the underdog in each of the 10 matchups during the streak, but that could change on Thursday night. Oddsmakers opened the Seminoles as 3- to 3½-point favorites, but don’t be surprised if North Carolina State is a short favorite by kickoff.
If not, it’ll be because the Seminoles’ public status pushes square money their way. Depending on the number, it’ll be hard to argue with the bettors’ decision. Along with NC State, Florida State has been the most profitable spread wager in the ACC Atlantic.
Both schools are coming off a bye in Week 8, so they’ve had time to prepare for each other. It’s also allowed ailing ‘Noles starting quarterback Christian Ponder to deal with a swollen bursa sac in his right elbow.
Ponder threw well at practice on Saturday, but he’s still a question mark for Thursday night. I’d expect Ponder to be under center, if only because Jimbo Fisher doesn’t want to turn to backup E.J. Manuel in a game with BCS implications.
If Florida State runs the table and wins the ACC Atlantic, it’ll be set up to cash the ACC Championship Game and book a ticket to a BCS Bowl.
Don’t think this a big game for both teams? The Wolfpack isn’t a traditional ACC powerhouse, but remains very much in the mix this season despite a 33-27 overtime loss at East Carolina (+7½) in Week 7.
Besides being well in the black for bettors, NC State brings one of the best offenses in the country to the field. Led by QB Russell Wilson, the Wolfpack rank 21st in total offense (448.9 YPG), 18th in scoring (36.0 PPG), and seventh in passing (312.6 YPG) this season.
The Seminoles are coming off a tougher-than-expected 24-19 win at home over Boston College in Week 7 when they came nowhere close to covering as 21½-point chalk. Bert Reed’s 42-yard touchdown run with 10:50 left was the difference, as Florida State’s 20th-ranked defense (308.1 YPG) shut the door on the Golden Eagles in the dying minutes.
Ponder struggled despite throwing two TD passes against Boston College, finishing 19 of 31 for 170 yards with three interceptions, and he’ll need to be better for the ‘Noles to cash on Thursday.
Florida State has a stronger body of work than North Carolina State. In addition to their loss to ECU, the Wolfpack also fell at home to Virginia Tech, while the Seminoles have convincing wins at Miami and West Virginia to go along with a blowout defeat at Oklahoma.
Chris Thompson’s 4-yard run with 3:08 on the clock lifted Florida State past North Carolina State 45-42 last October in Tallahassee, as the Wolfpack covered as 10½-point underdogs.
The game was an offensive showcase and a battle between Ponder and Wilson, and the latter got the best of the Seminoles quarterback. Wilson went 20 of 30 for 349 yards with five touchdowns and two picks for NC State, while Ponder was 26 of 40 for 477 yards with a score and two INTs for Florida State.
Bettors wagering the total should lean towards the ‘over.’ The Wolfpack is 13-3 O/U in its last 16 ACC games, while the ‘Noles have played ‘over’ in seven of their last 10 road contests.
Florida State sits atop the ACC's Atlantic Division with a 4-0 conference mark. That unbeaten record will be tested Thursday night when the Seminoles travel to Raleigh to meet the North Carolina State Wolfpack in an ESPN broadcast. The 'Noles have been winners on the scoreboard when battling the 'Pack in recent years, but it's NC State that has been cashing tickets for college football spread bettors.
There aren’t many certainties in college football. Just ask the trio of No. 1 teams (whether in the AP Poll or the BCS standings) that have gone down swinging over the past few weeks.
That being the case, there are some sturdy trends that have stood the test of changing rosters, coaching staffs, and game plans.
Bettors are faced with one the surest realities on the college football betting odds board when No. 16 Florida State (6-1 SU, 5-2 ATS) takes on North Carolina State (5-2 SU, 5-2 ATS) in Raleigh on Thursday night (7:30 p.m. ET, ESPN).
The Seminoles have more or less had their way with the Wolfpack on the scoreboard over the last decade, but the same can’t be said at the window. Florida State hasn’t covered the spread against NC State since its 58-14 win at Carter-Finley Stadium back in 2000.
The Wolfpack has been the underdog in each of the 10 matchups during the streak, but that could change on Thursday night. Oddsmakers opened the Seminoles as 3- to 3½-point favorites, but don’t be surprised if North Carolina State is a short favorite by kickoff.
If not, it’ll be because the Seminoles’ public status pushes square money their way. Depending on the number, it’ll be hard to argue with the bettors’ decision. Along with NC State, Florida State has been the most profitable spread wager in the ACC Atlantic.
Both schools are coming off a bye in Week 8, so they’ve had time to prepare for each other. It’s also allowed ailing ‘Noles starting quarterback Christian Ponder to deal with a swollen bursa sac in his right elbow.
Ponder threw well at practice on Saturday, but he’s still a question mark for Thursday night. I’d expect Ponder to be under center, if only because Jimbo Fisher doesn’t want to turn to backup E.J. Manuel in a game with BCS implications.
If Florida State runs the table and wins the ACC Atlantic, it’ll be set up to cash the ACC Championship Game and book a ticket to a BCS Bowl.
Don’t think this a big game for both teams? The Wolfpack isn’t a traditional ACC powerhouse, but remains very much in the mix this season despite a 33-27 overtime loss at East Carolina (+7½) in Week 7.
Besides being well in the black for bettors, NC State brings one of the best offenses in the country to the field. Led by QB Russell Wilson, the Wolfpack rank 21st in total offense (448.9 YPG), 18th in scoring (36.0 PPG), and seventh in passing (312.6 YPG) this season.
The Seminoles are coming off a tougher-than-expected 24-19 win at home over Boston College in Week 7 when they came nowhere close to covering as 21½-point chalk. Bert Reed’s 42-yard touchdown run with 10:50 left was the difference, as Florida State’s 20th-ranked defense (308.1 YPG) shut the door on the Golden Eagles in the dying minutes.
Ponder struggled despite throwing two TD passes against Boston College, finishing 19 of 31 for 170 yards with three interceptions, and he’ll need to be better for the ‘Noles to cash on Thursday.
Florida State has a stronger body of work than North Carolina State. In addition to their loss to ECU, the Wolfpack also fell at home to Virginia Tech, while the Seminoles have convincing wins at Miami and West Virginia to go along with a blowout defeat at Oklahoma.
Chris Thompson’s 4-yard run with 3:08 on the clock lifted Florida State past North Carolina State 45-42 last October in Tallahassee, as the Wolfpack covered as 10½-point underdogs.
The game was an offensive showcase and a battle between Ponder and Wilson, and the latter got the best of the Seminoles quarterback. Wilson went 20 of 30 for 349 yards with five touchdowns and two picks for NC State, while Ponder was 26 of 40 for 477 yards with a score and two INTs for Florida State.
Bettors wagering the total should lean towards the ‘over.’ The Wolfpack is 13-3 O/U in its last 16 ACC games, while the ‘Noles have played ‘over’ in seven of their last 10 road contests.
