The number of unbeaten teams in the ACC will be reduced by at least one in Week 5 when the NC State Wolfpack and Clemson Tigers square off in a top-10 duel. No. 5 Clemson had its stiffest of the season beating Wake Forest 51-45 in overtime and any questions about the quarterback situation were put to rest at least temporarily.
D.J. Uiagalelei tossed five scoring passes to overcome a rare off game from the defense. And he’ll need to be sharp again if Clemson wants to avenge last year’s OT loss to the Pack, who won for just the second time in the last 17 meetings.
The Week 5 college football game between the NC State Wolfpack and Clemson Tigers will take place at Memorial Stadium in Clemson, SC at 7:30 p.m. ET on Saturday, October 1, 2022 and will be televised on ABC.
NC State vs Clemson Tigers Odds
NC State Wolfpack +6.5
Clemson Tigers -6.5
Over/Under 40
Odds Analysis
A sign that this rivalry is getting closer is in the betting line. Clemson hit the board as a 6.5-point favorite, which would be the smallest spread since 2011 when the Tigers were also a 6.5-point favorite. If you’re looking for a sign that could be it; NC State won that game over a decade ago 37-13. Since then Clemson played as a double-digit favorite in every game and was laying 10.5 points last year only to lose outright 27-21 in overtime snapping an eight-game series winning streak. Both teams have offensive upside, but oddsmakers expect a defensive struggle with the total set at 40.
NC State Wolfpack
One thing that has prevented the Pack from getting over the hump the past few years has been their play on the road. They won nine games last season but ended just 2-3 SU and ATS in road games while going 6-9 SU and 4-11 ATS in 15 away games since the start of the 2019 season. And the opening road game this season was a near disaster. The Pack failed to score in the second half but held on to edge East Carolina 21-20, though they failed to cover the 12-point closing line. This is also different territory for NC State after playing as a double-digit favorite in each of their first four games going 2-2 ATS.
NC State has been above average offensively this season averaging 36 points and 411 yards. Instead the Pack has relied on a stingy group of defenders to win all four games. They haven’t allowed more than 20 points in any game yielding an average on nine points over the last three contests. The competition hasn’t been great and they’ll need to generate offense like they did last week in a 41-10 win over UConn. They scored on their first offensive play and tallied 31 points on five possessions before calling off the dogs, much to the dismay of backers.
Clemson Tigers
The Tigers are good enough to cover any flaws that surface in their game. They used a strong defense to win the first three games allowing an average of 14 points. Last week was a reversal and we saw Uiagalelei pick up his mates on the other side of the football. They really had no answer for Sam Hartman, who picked the Tigers defense apart completing nearly 70 percent of his passes for 337 yards and six TDs. The group did come up with big stops when it had to squelching a drive at the end of regulation and in the second OT.
The defense should be fine and the group is too talented to rank 104th in the country against the pass. You can expect the Pack to try and exploit that area and the Tigers will be ready. They should be happy with the performance of their QB, too. With some criticism coming his way, Uiagalelei had his finest game since taking over the starting gig a few years ago. And that’s saying something for a squad that averages nearly 44 points. Uiagalelei was en fuego throwing for 371 yards and five touchdowns and he hasn’t been bad this season averaging 258 yards with 10 TDs and only one pick.
NC State vs Clemson Predictions
I was shocked to see the total for this game open at 40 and I had to do a double take to confirm. Sure enough that was the number. The total in each of Clemson’s first four games was above 51 and NC State’s lowest was 48. The teams are strong defensively but they also have plenty of upside on offense, which is why I’m backing the OVER. While NC State is making a move in the ACC, the Tigers are still the team to beat. And they’ve won eight in a row over the Pack at home.
Prediction: Clemson Tigers -6.5 / OVER 40
