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Northern Illinois looks to rebound from their loss as they face NC State. It is time to continue our college football odds series with a Northern Illinois-NC State prediction and pick.
Northern Illinois comes into the game sitting at 2-1 on the year. They started with a dominating performance over Western Illinois. They would then hit the road and face Notre Dame. NIU took a 13-7 lead at the half, but Notre Dame took the lead in the third quarter. Still, Northern Illinois would hit a field goal with 31 seconds left in the game to upset Notre Dame. Last week, they were heavily favored over Buffalo. Northern Illinois took the 14-3 lead into the half, but Buffalo would come back and take the lead. Still, Northern Illinois tied the game with 24 seconds left to force overtime. There, Buffalo would win and upset NIU.
Meanwhile, NC State comes into the game sitting at 2-2 on the year. They would open with a tough game against Western Carolina, followed by losing to Tennessee 51-10. They would then face Louisiana Tech, and come away with a 30-20 win. Last week, they faced Clemson, and once again the defense struggled. They would give up 59 points while falling 59-25.
Here are the College Football odds, courtesy of FanDuel.
College Football Odds: Northern Illinois-NC State Odds
Northern Illinois: +6.5 (-105)
Moneyline: +198
NC State: -6.5 (-115)
Moneyline: -245
Over: 46.5 (-118)
Under: 46.5 (-104)
How to Watch Northern Illinois vs. NC State
Time: 12:00 PM ET/ 9:00 AM PT
TV: The CW Network
Stream: fuboTV (Free Trial)
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Why Northern Illinois Could Cover The Spread/Win
Ethan Hampton has led the way for the Northern Illinois offense. He has completed 51 of 82 passes this year for 720 yards. He has also thrown seven touchdown passes while only having one interception. Further, he has not been sacked this year while running for 45 yards on 11 attempts. His top weapon has been Antario Brown. Brown leads the team with 52 rushes for 241 yards and a touchdown. He has also brought in seven receptions for 193 yards and a score.
Also solid in the receiving game is Grayson Barnes, the tight end. He has ten catches for 138 yards and a touchdown. Meanwhile, Trayvon Rudolph has six receptions for 114 yards and a score. Finally, Cam Thompson has six receptions for 97 yards and a touchdown. Gavin Williams has also been solid this year. He has 36 carries for 163 yards this year.
The Northern Illinois defense has been solid this year. They are 31st in the nation in opponent points per game this year, while sitting eighth in opponent yards per game. They are 24th against the rush, and 11th against the pass. Davonte O'Malley has been solid this year. He has ten tackles with two sacks, a forced fumble, and a fumble recovery. Meanwhile, Nevaeh Sanders has three sacks this year, while also forcing a fumble.
Why NC State Could Cover The Spread/Win
Grayson McCall has been the starting quarterback for NC State this year. He has completed 50 of 75 passes for 476 yards and three scores. He also has two interceptions and has been sacked four times. Still, he was injured in the game with Louisana Tech and missed last week. He could be out again for this game. If that is the case, CJ Bailey will be in. He has completed 29 passes for 45 yards and 360 yards. He has one touchdown and two interceptions.
Kevin Concepcion has led the way in the receiving game. He has 27 receptions for 239 yards this year with three touchdowns. Justin Joly has also been solid this year. The tight end has 14 receptions for 225 yards on the year. Finally, Noah Rogers has eight receptions for 100 yards. The focus of the NC State offense will be the run game. Jordan Waters has led the way. He has 44 carries for 191 yards and two scored. Meanwhile, Kendrick Raphael has 26 carries for 182 yards and two scores. Finally, Hollywood Smothers has 22 carries for 114 yards and a score.
NC State is 126th in the nation in opponent points per game this year, while sitting 103rd in yards per game. They are 98th against the rush and 87th against the pass. Caden Fordham has been solid this year. He leads the team in tackles while breaking up two passes and recovering a fumble. Meanwhile, Aydan White has broken up two passes, while having an interception returned for a touchdown. Finally, DK Kaufman is third on the team in tackles, while having an interception and fumble recovery. The interception was returned for a touchdown.
Final Northern Illinois-NC State Prediction & Pick
The Northern Illinois offense has struggled this year. They are 101st in the nation in points per game while sitting 67th in yards per game. The NC State defense has struggled though. Further, NC State will be able to move the ball against Northern Illinois in this one. Northern Illinois did have the big upset against Notre Dame, but there will not be another upset in this one.
Final Northern Illinois-NC State Prediction & Pick: NC State -6.5 (-115)
