NC State opens as home underdog vs. Syracuse
After NC State logged its first home loss of the season — a 34-30 defeat to Wake Forest this past weekend — the Wolfpack is now a home underdog for the first time this fall.
The Pack opened as a 2.5-point underdog against Syracuse this weekend, according to Action Network. The over/under was set at 56.5 points in the game, which is set for Saturday night at 8 p.m. on ACC Network.
NC State, however, has yet to cover the spread this fall. The Wolfpack was a 33.5-point favorite in Week 1 against Western Carolina (it won by 17) and it was a 9.5-underdog against Tennessee (it lost by 41). The Pack was also a .20.5-point favorite against Louisiana Tech (it won by 10), a 17-point underdog at Clemson (a 24-point loss) and a 4.5-point favorite against Wake Forest (a 4-point loss).
The over has hit in four of the Wolfpack’s first six games. The under only happened against Western Carolina and Northern Illinois this fall.
Syracuse (4-1, 1-1 ACC), meanwhile, is 2-3 against the spread this season. The Orange were a 3-point underdog against Georgia Tech (they won by 4) and they covered a 5.5-underdog line at UNLV this past weekend with a 44-41 win in Las Vegas.
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NC State quarterback CJ Bailey appears to be the Wolfpack’s starting signal-caller going into this weekend’s game. He is 70-of-107 for 741 yards with four touchdowns and three interceptions this season. Bailey has also been sacked five times this fall.
While Bailey is likely at the controls again this weekend, sophomore running back Kendrick Raphael is the Wolfpack’s leading rusher. He has 43 carries for 251 yards and three touchdowns, while he is averaging 5.8 yards per attempt. Graduate Jordan Waters is right behind him with 246 yards and two scores on the ground.
Junior tight end Justin Joly is the Wolfpack’s leading receiver with 20 catches for 313 yards and a touchdown. Sophomore wideout Kevin “KC” Concepcion has 37 grabs for 266 yards with four scores, while redshirt junior wide receiver Noah Rogers has 15 catches for 193 yards this season.
NC State is 13-3 all time against Syracuse, including a 7-1 mark inside Carter-Finley Stadium. The Wolfpack and Orange most recently met in 2022, a 24-9 Syracuse win inside the JMA Wireless Dome. NC State beat Syracuse 41-17 in 2021, the last time the two teams played in Raleigh.
