The South Florida Bulls meet the NC State Wolfpack Thursday in the season opener for both teams at Carter-Finley Stadium. Kickoff is scheduled for 7:30 p.m. ET. Below, we look at the South Florida at NC State odds and lines, and make our expert college football picks, predictions and bets.
The Bulls kick off their second season under head coach Jeff Scott looking to take a step forward. If they’re going to improve from a year ago, they need better ball protection after coughing it up 17 times in just nine games. They also allowed 39.9 PPG and 6.1 yards per play on defense in 2020.
The Wolfpack flipped the script in 2020, winning eight games after prevailing in just four in 2019. They’ll welcome back QB Devin Leary, and will be right there nipping at the heels of Clemson. NC State averaged 30.2 points per game in 2020, and that’s bad news for USF.
South Florida at NC State odds, spread and lines
Odds provided by Tipico Sportsbook; access USA TODAY Sports’ betting odds for a full list. Lines last updated Thursday at 5:18 a.m. ET.
- Money line: South Florida +600 (bet $100 to win $600) | NC State -1000 (bet $1,000 to win $100)
- Against the spread (ATS): South Florida +19.5 (-108) | NC State -19.5 (-112)
- Over/Under (O/U): 58.5 (O: -108 | U: -112)
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South Florida at NC State odds, lines, picks and predictions
Prediction
NC State 41, South Florida 20
Money line
NC State (-1000) will cost you 10 times your potential return. That’s just not a good long-term wagering strategy, especially in the early stages of the season.
AVOID and look to the spread instead.
Against the spread
The lean is to NC STATE -19.5 (-112) at home. South Florida really struggled defensively and it had a difficult time on the offensive end. The Wolfpack will be playing in front of a raucous crowd after dealing with a limited capacity a year ago. The return of Leary is also a shot in the arm for the home side, which is expected to roll.
Over/Under
The OVER 58.5 (-108) is the play here, but you’ll need NC State to do most of the heavy lifting. USF stumbled on offense, and it’s uncertain if it will be able to cobble together much in this tough opening-game assignment on the road in front of a hostile crowd.
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