RALEIGH, N.C. — It was a rough Saturday for college football teams across North Carolina, including the one based in the state’s capital. In yet another underwhelming performance, Dave Doeren’s NC State squad was outmatched from the opening kickoff, suffering a lopsided 59-35 loss to Clemson in Death Valley. This marked the Wolfpack’s second consecutive marquee defeat in front of a national audience, dropping them to 2-2 on the season. Now NC State must regroup and hit the drawing board quickly as Northern Illinois, a team with a win against Notre Dame in South Bend, heads to Carter-Finley Stadium this weekend.
In what is the last non-conference opponent of the season, NC State enters the contest against the Huskies as 11.5-point favorites with the over/under being set at 46.5 according to FanDuel Sportsbook. Since the opening line was set, multiple sportsbooks at the time when this article was written has shifted the line more in favor of Northen Illinois, with some spreads favoring the Wolfpack by less than a touchdown.
Following another disappointing defeat, NC State is now 0-4 against the spread to start the year. This includes failing to cover against two Group of Five opponents to open the season. Last season, NC State finished 6-5-1 against the spread, including five consecutive covers to end the season…