NC State opens as home favorite against Marshall
NC State struggled offensively against Louisville last week, but the odds makers believe the Wolfpack will get back on the right track in its final non-conference contest of the 2023 campaign on Saturday.
According to the opening line at Circa Sports, NC State is a 7-point favorite against Marshall, who has beaten two Power Five opponents — Notre Dame and Virginia Tech — in the past two seasons.
NC State is coming off a tight 13-10 loss to Louisville on Friday night at Carter-Finley Stadium, while Marshall enters the game off a 41-35 win over Old Dominion.
The Wolfpack failed to cover the spread through its first four games, but met the 3.5-point underdog role in its 3-point loss to Louisville. NC State was a 14-point favorite at UConn — a 24-10 win — and were a seven-point underdog to Notre Dame, a 21-point loss. The Wolfpack were a 40.5-point favorite against VMI and an 8-point darling at Virginia, but fell short of the spread in both contests.
Marshall, meanwhile, is 2-2 against the spread this fall even though it boasts a 4-0 record to open the season. The Thundering Herd were a 6.5-point home favorite against Virginia Tech, which it easily covered at East Carolina in a 31-13 rout as 3-point favorites.
This weekend’s game will be the sixth meeting between the Thundering Herd and Wolfack, and NC State has emerged as the victor in each of the contests. It will be the first contest for Marshall and NC State since 2018 when the Wolfpack won 37-20 in Huntington, W.Va.
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Former Wolfpack quarterback Ryan Finley paced NC State’s offense with 377 passing yards and a touchdown in that win, while running back Reggie Gallaspy recorded 81 rushing yards and two touchdowns. NC State won that meeting with a loaded wide receivers room that had Kelvin Harmon, Emeka Emezie and Jakobi Meyers, among others.
Current NC State senior tight end Trent Pennix logged two receptions for eight yards and added another 33 yards on the ground on nine carries against the Thundering Herd.
Marshall will arrive in Raleigh for the first time since 2017, also a 37-20 NC State win. This season’s Thundering Herd haven’t dropped a contest, while they’ve outscored opponents 25.3-15.7 per game this fall. Marshall owns wins over Albany, East Carolina, Virginia Tech and ODU this season.
Quarterback Cam Fancher is 10-1 as the team’s starter since he took over under center during the season last fall. Through his first four games this season, Fancher has thrown for 890 yards and four touchdowns with four interceptions on 88-of-124 passing, while he’s added another 162 yards on the ground. Running back Rasheen Ali has paced the Thundering Herd with 91 carries for 475 yards and nine touchdowns this fall.
