NC State opens as road underdog at No. 17 Duke
After NC State outlasted Marshall in a 48-41 barnburner on Saturday afternoon at Carter-Finley Stadium to round out the non-conference slate, the Wolfpack has its sights set on the bulk of ACC play.
The first contest up in the second half of the season is a road trip to No. 17 Duke for an 8 p.m. kickoff at Wallace Wade Stadium in six days.
According to the opening line at Circa Sports, NC State is a 2-point underdog ahead of its short drive to Durham.
Duke enters the contest off of its open week. The Blue Devils fell 21-14 to Notre Dame in their last time out.
The Wolfpack failed to cover the spread through its first four games, but has covered in the past two games. NC State met the 3.5-point underdog role in its 3-point loss to Louisville, and it covered the 6.5-point favorite against Marshall.
Duke, meanwhile, is 3-2 against the spread this fall. The Blue Devils covered the spread against UConn (-22.5, 41-7 win), Northwestern (-17, 38-14 win), and Clemson (+12.5, 28-7 win). Duke failed to reach the points against Lafayette (-42.5, 42-7 win) and Notre Dame (+5, 21-14 loss).
The Blue Devils were paced by quarterback Riley Leonard this fall, but he exited the Notre Dame game with what’s been described as a sprained ankle on the last offensive play of the game. He is not expected to play against the Wolfpack.
Leonard has accounted for 912 passing yards with three touchdowns and an interception this season, while he is the team’s leading rusher with 326 yards and four scores on the ground.
Without Leonard in the lineup, Duke may lean on Henry Belin IV, the only other quarterback that has seen action this season, against NC State. Belin is 8-for-8 passing this season for 118 yards and a touchdown.
Duke’s rushing attack will likely run through its top two running backs with Lenoard absent. Jordan Waters has 303 rushing yards and eight touchdowns this season, while Jaquez Moore has added 235 yards and two touchdowns on the ground.
The Blue Devils’ receiving corps is led by Jordan Moore and Jalon Calhoun, who have combined to catch 47 passes this season, and are the only two wideouts that have more than 14 receptions this fall.
Moore has racked up 24 receptions for 313 yards and three touchdowns, while Calhoun has been responsible for 23 catches for 299 yards and one touchdown. Both receivers are averaging 13 yards per catch.
