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The Louisville Cardinals (4-0, 2-0 ACC) and the NC State Wolfpack (3-1, 1-0) meet Friday night at Carter-Finley Stadium in Raleigh, N.C., in an ACC battle. Kickoff is scheduled for 7 p.m. ET (ESPN). Below, we analyze FanDuel Sportsbook’s lines around the Louisville vs. NC State odds, and make our expert college football picks and predictions.
Louisville remains unranked in both of the major Top 25 polls despite an unblemished record through 4 games. The Cardinals doubled up Boston College 56-28 at home last weekend, winning their 2nd conference tilt of the season. It is also 2-0 against the spread (ATS) at home, but 0-2 ATS on the road or in neutral-site games. The Over is 2-0 in ACC play so far.
NC State narrowly escaped at Virginia last Friday in its conference opener. While the Wolfpack is 3-1 straight up (SU), it has failed to cover in all 4 games. The Under is 3-1 in 4 outings despite the fact the Pack has posted 24 or more points in each of its games so far.
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Louisville at NC State odds
Provided by FanDuel Sportsbook; access USA TODAY Sports Scores and Sports Betting Odds hub for a full list. Lines last updated Thursday at 7:33 p.m. ET.
- Moneyline (ML): Louisville -176 (bet $176 to win $100) | NC State +146 (bet $100 to win $146)
- Against the spread (ATS): Louisville -3.5 (-105) | NC State +3.5 (-115)
- Over/Under (O/U): 55.5 (O: -115 | U: -105)
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Louisville at NC State picks and predictions
Prediction
Louisville 31, NC State 24
Moneyline
LOUISVILLE (-176) is a little on the pricey side, especially for a road conference game, but the Cardinals offense has been on fire through 4 games.
The Cards have rolled up 542.0 total yards of offense, and 237.3 rushing yards per game, and both marks are good for 5th overall in the nation. Louisville is also racking up 43.0 PPG, good for 9th in the land.
QB Jack Plummer has taken the reins of the offense from the departed QB Malik Cunningham, and the Cards haven’t skipped a beat. In fact, they might be a little more potent that in past seasons. He is completing 67.0% of his passes for 1,120 yards, 10 TDs and 4 INTs, while RB Jawhar Jordan is more than capable when the team runs the ball. He has 478 yards and 6 TD, gobbling up 9.6 yards per attempt.
Against the spread
LOUISVILLE -3.5 (-105) will cost you a little extra juice, but it will be worth it.
The Cardinals have been money in conference play, rolling up 42.5 PPG in a pair of wins. NC State +3.5 (-115) won last week in its league opener, but a 3-point win at Virginia suggest this team has a lot of work to do. The Cards just don’t seem to have as many holes, and they’re potent on offense.
Over/Under
OVER 55.5 (-115) is the lean, based on Louisville’s prolific numbers. It has scored 39 or more points in 3 of its 4 games overall this season.
The thing that makes me concerned about an Over play is NC State, and its moribund offense. While it topped UVA last week, it managed just 319 total yards against a winless Hoos team, and NC State was actually outgained in the game by 65 yards. If not for a plus-1 turnover ratio, the Wolfpack could easily have lost. The offense, led by QB Brennan Armstrong, just isn’t hitting on all cylinders, so be careful with the Over play.
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