NC State Opens as a 17-Point Underdog Against Clemson

#15 NC State has a massive opportunity this Saturday against #3 Clemson, and the Wolfpack opens as a 17-point underdog against the Tigers.

North Carolina State is 4-2 Against The Spread in its last 6 games
North Carolina State is 5-0 Straight Up in its last 5 games
North Carolina State is 7-2-1 Against The Spread in its last 10 games on the road
North Carolina State is 8-2 Straight Up in its last 10 games on the road
North Carolina State is 6-2 Against The Spread in its last 8 games when playing Clemson
North Carolina State is 0-5 Straight Up in its last 5 games when playing Clemson
North Carolina State is 5-1 Against The Spread in its last 6 games when playing on the road against Clemson
North Carolina State is 0-5 Straight Up in its last 5 games when playing on the road against Clemson (OddShark)

Vegas didn’t look at the recent history of the NC State vs. Clemson series when creating their opening betting line. Sure, Clemson should be favored. That’s obvious.

But a 17-point spread?

The past two editions of the Textile Bowl have come down to the wire, with both games ending with Clemson winning by 1-score. Last year the Tigers were 10-point favorites, and squeaked out a 7-point victory. In 2016, Clemson was a 20-point favorite, and won by 7 points in overtime, after NC State missed a game winning 33-yard field goal at the end of regulation.

The Wolfpack is 6-2 against the spread in their last 8 games against Clemson, and 5-1 against the spread in their last 5 visits to Death Valley.

On the other side, Clemson is 2-4 against the spread in 2018, and 0-3 at home.

NC State hasn’t defeated Clemson under Dave Doeren. The last time the Wolfpack beat Clemson was in 2011 at home, when they owned their underdog status, taking down the #7 Tigers 37-13.

There is no question, a win Saturday would be Doeren’s most significant win on his resume at NC State.

If I was a betting man, I’d take NC State against the 17-point spread.