The Maryland Terrapins and the NC State Wolfpack will square off in one of the quirkier bowl games, the Duke's Mayo Bowl on Friday afternoon. It’s time to continue our college football odds series with a Maryland-NC State prediction and pick.
Maryland finished their regular season at 7-5, their second straight bowl appearance under head coach Mike Locksley. An eighth win in this one would set a career-high for Locksley. The Terrapins snapped a three-game losing streak with a shutout victory over Rutgers in the regular season finale.
North Carolina State finished their regular season at 8-4, including a 4-4 mark in ACC play. A double-overtime victory over rival North Carolina put an exclamation on a strong regular season. Head coach Dave Doeren has now won at least eight games in five of his last six seasons.
Here are the Maryland-NC State college football odds, courtesy of FanDuel.
College Football Odds: Maryland-NC State Odds
Maryland Terrapins: +1.5 (-115)
NC State Wolfpack: -1.5 (-105)
Over: 45.5 (-112)
Under: 45.5 (-108)
Why Maryland Could Cover The Spread
Taulia Tagovailoa was banged up towards the end of the season but returned in the regular season finale. For the season, the former 4-star recruit has completed 68.6 percent of his passes for 2,787 yards with 17 touchdowns and six interceptions. Tagovailoa has also added four rushing touchdowns. On the ground, the Terrapins are led by Roman Hemby, who rushed for 924 yards and 10 touchdowns, both of which led the team. Antwain Littleton II ranks second on the team with five rushing touchdowns. Maryland has totaled 1,761 yards and 23 touchdowns on the ground. NC State has only allowed 102.8 rushing yards per game to their opponents.
Jeshaun Jones is the team's leading receiver, with 478 yards and four touchdowns. Jones is also one of the few remaining options for Tagovailoa, as three key receivers have opted out. Corey Dyches, who ranks third with 449 receiving yards, is the second-leading receiver playing in the bowl game. Maryland has averaged 29.2 points and 406.1 yards of offense per game.
Maryland's defense struggled in a daunting Big Ten schedule and allowed 24.1 points and 362.2 yards of offense per game to their opponents. The Terrapins totaled 24 sacks and nine interceptions, facing a team without their top option at quarterback.
Why NC State Could Cover The Spread
Devin Leary's season ended in October with an injury, and the veteran signal-caller has transferred to Kentucky for next season. Since Leary went down, the Wolfpack has cycled through three different starters. Doeren has declined to name a starter ahead of the bowl. Jordan Houston leads the team with 530 rushing yards but has not crossed the endzone. The Wolfpack have totaled 1,452 rushing yards and eight touchdowns as a team. The Terps have allowed 142.7 rushing yards per game to their opponents.
Thayer Thomas leads the team with 588 receiving yards and four touchdown catches. Darryl Jones is second on the team with three touchdown catches. The Wolfpack have averaged 25.3 points and 343.5 yards of offense per game.
On defense, NC State has held their opponents to 19.4 points and 325.7 yards of offense per game to their opponents. While NC State has sacked their opponents 24 times this season, Maryland's offensive line has struggled, allowing 39 sacks. While Tagovailoa has been good with turnovers, the Wolfpack's 17 interceptions should be cause for concern.
Final Maryland-NC State Prediction & Pick
Tagovailoa and company should take advantage of a weakened NC State team in this one.
Final Maryland-NC State Prediction & Pick: Maryland +1.5 (-115), over 45.5 (-112)
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