NC State opens as slight favorite vs. Wake Forest
After NC State found itself back in the win column following a 24-17 victory over Northern Illinois this weekend, the Wolfpack is looking to record back-to-back victories for the first time this season.
The opponent standing in its way is Wake Forest.
NC State will play host to the Demon Deacons, a noon kickoff on Saturday afternoon, looking for its third consecutive win against the ACC foe from Winston-Salem. The Wolfpack opened as a 6-point favorite against the Demon Deacons, according to Action Network, on Sunday.
The Pack, however, has yet to cover the spread this fall. NC State 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 7.5 favorite against Northern Illinois (it won by 7).
Wake Forest, meanwhile, is 1-3 against the spread this season. The Demon Deacons didn’t cover against NC A&T (-33.5, but won 45-13), against Ole Miss (+21, but lost 40-6) or against Louisiana (-3, but lost 41-38) this fall. Wake Forest did cover its spread against Virginia, a 1-point loss after entering the game as a 1.5-point underdog.
NC State’s offense has been paced by freshman quarterback CJ Bailey, who boasts 468 passing yards with 2 touchdowns and 2 interceptions on a 64.6 percent completion rate. He has also accounted for 43 rushing yards and two scores on the ground in 2½ games this season.
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Graduate running back Jordan Waters is the Wolfpack’s leading rusher with 214 yards and two touchdowns on 52 carries. Sophomore running back Kendrick Raphael is right behind him with 203 yards and 2 touchdowns on 33 carries. Redshirt freshman Hollywood Smothers is the only other rusher with more than 100 yards (22 carries for 114 yards and a touchdown).
In addition to the rushing attack, NC State’s receiving threat is paced by sophomore wide receiver Kevin “KC” Concepcion. The reigning ACC Rookie of the Year has 31 receptions for 243 yards and 4 touchdowns this season, while junior tight end Justin Joly has 16 catches for 240 yards.
Ohio State transfer wideout Noah Rogers has accounted for 10 receptions and 148 yards to lead the Pack’s outside receiver room.
Redshirt junior linebacker Caden Fordham is the Pack’s leading tackler with 42, while linebacker Sean Brown is second with 39 total stops.
