State Wolfpack take on the Rutgers Scarlet Knights this upcoming Monday in the
PapaJohns.com Bowl, it might not be a battle of two of the best teams in the
country, but it will be a showdown between two of the teams playing the best
football to end the regular season. After starting the season 2-6 the Wolfpack
finished off with 4 straight wins, including victories over Wake Forest, North
Carolina, and Miami. As for
Rutgers they started the season 1-5 and the season looked over, but instead this
team rallied to win 6 straight games and finish up 7-5. So for those of you
looking to do some
NCAA football betting on this game, the oddsmakers have
Rutgers 7 point favorites over North Carolina State at BetUS.com .
The Wolfpack come fresh off their 38-28 win over the Miami Hurricanes, and
the offense has really started to click at the end of the season. Overall this
team comes in averaging nearly 24 points a game and a solid 326 yards of total
offense. The main reason for all those yards is freshman quarterback Russell
Wilson, who not only was ACC Rookie of the Year but First-Team All-ACC as well.
Wilson wound up throwing for 1,769 yards but the most impressive stat was his 16
touchdown tosses to just 1 interception. Wilson has also helped out a pretty
mediocre running game, as he ran for 342 yards and 4 more touchdowns this
season. The big playmakers for Wilson are top receiver Owen Spencer and running
back Andre Brown, as long as Wilson stays on the field we like what this unit
can do not only in this bowl game, but for the next few years as well.
The defense for the Wolfpack seems to be hit or miss this season, but after
allowing over 30 points in the first 8 games of the season, they have really
turned it on allowing just 18 points a game during their 4 game winning streak.
Overall they are giving up a ton of yards both in the passing and running game,
but as the offense has got better so has the defense. This unit has created 27
turnovers on the season, and are led by the big play making ability of Willie
Young who leads the teams with 6.5 sacks and Nate Irving who leads the way with
4 interceptions in just 9 games this season. Look for another strong outing from
this unit as they try to snap Rutgers winning streak.
Bet North Carolina State Wolfpack +7 at BetUS.com.
Just like the Wolfpack the Scarlet Knights offense has been a tale of two
different halves, as this unit is averaging 46.2 points a game over its last 5
games, after scoring just 16 points a game over the first 7. The big reason for
the Knights success is the passing game, as Mike Teel went off over the last 6
games throwing for 1,929 yards and 20 touchdowns, including a 447 yard 7
touchdown performance against Louisville in the final game of the season. Teel
has 3,099 yards on the season and needs just 56 to set the school record for
yards in a single season. The guy doing all the work on the outside is receiver
Kenny Britt who ranks among the best in the nation with 81 catches for 1,252
yards and 2 touchdowns.
On the defensive side of things Rutgers has been strong all season, as they
come into the game letting opponents score just 18.5 points a game. Its been a
little shaky against the run allowing nearly 140 yards a game, but has been
excellent against the pass, holding teams to just 185 yards a game and only 8
touchdowns all season. The big reason for the success against the pass is the
Knights pressure up front, as they have 28 sacks on the season, but one
statistic of concern is the takeaway department, as Rutgers forced just 17
turnovers all season.
Bet Rutgers Scarlet Knights -7 at BetUS.com.
Lowry’s Lean on the Game: Rutgers -7
With the way the Rutgers defense plays against the pass, and the fact that the
Wolfpack are a pass heavy offense, I have a hard time believing they can keep up
with Rutgers scoring. This team took a few games but they really got things
rolling in the right direction, and this teams only two conferences losses were
on the road to West Virginia and Cincinnati by a combined 10 points.
Predicted Score: Rutgers 38 North
Carolina State 27
Check out the latest
NCAA football picks
from our experts and grab the best
college football odds
for all the bowl games at Betfirms.
No comments:
Post a Comment