The No. 14 West Virginia Mountaineers (-4) will meet the North Carolina State Wolfpack at Carter-Finley Stadium. This key afternoon game kicks off at 3:30 p.m. ET and ESPNU is scheduled to broadcast the action.
West Virginia Mountaineers vs. North Carolina State Wolfpack Betting Preview
In this Saturday matchup, West Virginia is getting picked as the favorite and is currently giving up 4 points. The Mountaineers are also receiving -185 moneyline odds while the Wolfpack are +165. Should one squad gets out in front early on, it’ll likely result in a reasonable betting opportunity in-game.
The opening line was initially set at 1 but early action has swayed toward the Mountaineers.
The Mountaineers have gained 1.0 unit so far in 2018 and are 2-0 against the spread (ATS). The team’s posted an O/U record of 1-1. The Wolfpack have gained 1.0 unit for moneyline bettors this season. They’re 1-1 ATS and have an O/U record of 0-1.
The Mountaineers have gone 2-0 straight up (SU) in 2018 while the Wolfpack are also 2-0 SU.
The Mountaineers are hoping to remain undefeated after a 52-17 victory over Youngstown State last weekTheir defense allowed the Penguins to run for 136 yards on 36 rush attempts, along with one rushing TD. Zach Farrar had a good day for the Penguins in that one with 135 yards on six catches. Offensively, Will Grier completed 21-of-26 passes for 332 yards, four touchdowns and one interception. Leddie Brown (115 yards on 15 rush attempts, one TD) and Martell Pettaway (77 yards on 12 carries) led the running attack while Marcus Simms (eight receptions, 119 yards) and Gary Jennings Jr. (six catches, 97 yards, three TDs) manned the receiving duties in the win.
North Carolina State just picked up a 41-7 win over Georgia State. The defense let the Panthers rush for 107 yards on 31 attempts, along with one rushing TD. Devin Gentry had a good outing in the loss for Georgia State, posting 83 yards on five catches. For North Carolina State, Ryan Finley completed 31-of-38 passes for 370 yards, two touchdowns and one interception. Reggie Gallaspy (24 rushing yards on 11 attempts, one TD) handled the running game as Thayer Thomas (nine receptions, 114 yards, one TD) and Kelvin Harmon (eight catches, 129 yards) led the receiving corps in the win.
West Virginia has run the ball on 53.7 percent of its offensive possessions this year while North Carolina State has a rush percentage of 42.3 percent. The Mountaineers have rushed for 204 yards per game and have three scores on the ground this year. The Pack are logging 99 rush yards per game and have four total rushing TDs.
If the numbers so far this season can translate to this game, then it seems like the Mountaineers could have the advantage when it comes to RB effectiveness. Their backfield has produced 5.6 yards per carry while the defense is allowing 3.6 YPC to opponents. The Wolfpack have rushed for 3.3 yards per carry and allowed 3.9 YPC to opponents.
The Mountaineers offensive scheme has tallied 383 yards per game through the air overall and has nine passing scores so far. The Pack have produced 368 pass yards per game and have four total pass TDs.
Defensively, West Virginia should have the upper hand when it comes to limiting the pass. The team has allowed opponents to run for an average of 133 yards and throw for 165 yards per game. The North Carolina State D has given up 222 yards per game to opposing passers and 135.0 yards per game to opposing runners. Both teams allow similar adjusted net yards per pass attempt (ANY/A) to the opposition, as the Mountaineers have given up an ANY/A of 6.10 to opposing QBs, while the Pack are allowing an ANY/A of 6.46.
Offensively, Grier has put up 332 passing yards this season, and has completed 81 percent of his 26 attempts with four passing scores and one interception. He’s got a pristine 13.44 adjusted net yards per pass attempt, including 14.10 over the last two outings.
We expect Grier to attack all areas of the North Carolina State secondary. Gary Jennings Jr. (119 receiving yards and three touchdowns), David Sills V (33 yards) and Marcus Simms (119 yards) have all been heavily involved recently.
On the other sideline, Ryan Finley has connected on 31-of-38 passes for 370 yards, two TDs and one INT. Finley’s ANY/A stands at 9.61 for the season and 8.66 over his last two games.
Finley and North Carolina State also tend to air it out, as Jakobi Meyers, Kelvin Harmon and Thayer Thomas have collectively put up 453 receiving yards and two scores over the last couple of games.
Free Pick: West Virginia Mountaineers at North Carolina State Wolfpack
SU Winner – West Virginia, ATS Winner – West Virginia
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Notes
Betting Trends
The Mountaineers offense has registered two pass plays of 40 or more yards, while the Wolfpack have accounted for one such play.
The West Virginia defense has allowed two pass plays of 40 or more yards, while North Carolina State has given up one such play.
The West Virginia offense has created five rushing plays of 20+ yards, while North Carolina State has created one such runs.
Both defenses have allowed three rushing plays of 20 or more yards. The Mountaineers have given up 12 running plays of 10+ yards while the Wolfpack have given up nine such plays.
The North Carolina State D has sacked opposing quarterbacks five times this season. West Virginia has produced two sacks.
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