Clemson vs NC State Odds, Spread and Prediction
- No. 9 Clemson plays its first ACC road game at North Carolina State at 3:30 pm ET on Saturday
- Clemson’s defense has not given up a touchdown in its first three games, a first since 1990; NC State (2-1) scored 45 points in each of its two victories
- See the odds, breakdown of the game and some wagering advice below
No. 9 Clemson (2-1) will play its first true road game of the season when meets North Carolina State in Raleigh at 3:30 pm ET Saturday on ESPN. Clemson has won 15 of the last 16 in the “Textile Bowl,” which was not played in 2020 because of Covid-19.
North Carolina State (2-1) has won its last five ACC home openers; it last opened at home against Clemson in 2013, losing to the No. 3 Tigers 26-14.
Despite the Tigers anemic offensive performance vs Georgia Tech, Clemson has settled as a 10-point favorite at most books.
Clemson vs NC State Odds
| Team | Moneyline | Spread | Total |
|---|---|---|---|
| Clemson Tigers | -430 | -9.5 (-115) | O 47.5 (-105) |
| NC State Wolfpack | +320 | +9.5 (-105) | U 47.5 (-115) |
*Odds from FanDuel on Sept. 22nd
The. No. 9 Tigers have not been ranked this low in the AP Top 25 since the fourth week of 2015, from where they began their ascent. They rose to No. 1 in the last four weeks of the regular season before losing to Alabama 45-40 in the CFP championship game to finish No. 2. They had been no lower than No. 7 since.
North Caroline State has beaten a Top 10 Clemson team three times, the most recent at home in 2011.
Clemson Slow Out of the Gate
The losses of quarterback Trevor Lawrence, running back Travis Etienne and two top wide receivers have proven difficult for Clemson to overcome, at least early.
Quarterback successor D.J. Uiagalelei, among the early Heisman Trophy favorites, has not passed for more than 180 yards in any of this three starts and has throw as many interceptions (two) as touchdown passes. It is nowhere near the expectation level created when he passed for 781 yards and four touchdowns and ran for two more scores against Boston College and Notre Dame, the two games Lawrence missed in 2020.
RB Will Shipley rushed for 88 yards and two touchdowns in a 14-8 victory over Georgia Tech last Saturday, the first time this season one of Etienne’s replacements has gained at least 70 yards this season, a figure Etienne routinely surpassed.
The Tigers’ offensive line was down last season even with Etienne, and it surrendered seven sacks in the 10-3 loss to Georgia in the 2021 season opener.
NC State running back Zonovan Knight had two 100-yard games and two touchdowns and is averaging 8.5 yards per carry, and he combined with running back Ricky Person for 352 yards of total offense in a 45-0 drubbing of South Florida.
The Defense Never Rests
Clemson and NC State are ranked in the top five in the FBS in scoring defense, and neither has allowed a rushing touchdown. The Tigers have given up 266.7 yards total offense per game. NC State, which returned 10 starters to the unit, has given up 261 yards.
Georgia’s only score against the Tigers was on a 74-yard interception return for a touchdown three minutes before the end of the first half, and one of Mississippi State’s three scores in a 24-10 victory over the Wolfpack was on a kickoff return. NC State’s shutout of South Florida was its first against an FBS opponent since 2011.
The Wolfpack lost two defensive starters to season-ending injuries against Mississippi State, including linebacker Payton Wilson, the ACC’s leading tackle a year ago.
By the Numbers
Clemson has won eight in a row in the series with blowout wins in 2018 (41-7) and 2019 (55-10), but NC State covered six of the previous eight.
When the entire D-line makes the tackle 😲@BigMurphy_25 @tdbeast5390 @atxlete @ruke33 pic.twitter.com/6vHDUiNJiK
— Clemson Football (@ClemsonFB) September 20, 2021
The Tigers have have been over-valued the past two seasons – they are 0-3 ATS this season and were 5-7 a year ago. They have failed to cover the last two times they were favored by single digits in 2020, in a 47-40 loss to Notre Dame giving 4.5 points and in a 49-28 loss to Ohio State in the CFP semifinals, although both were nationally ranked. NC State is 2-1 ATS this season, falling to Mississippi State 24-10 a a 1.5-point favorite.
Competing trends meet: Clemson has won six straight road openers and ACC road openers and is on a 20-7-1 ATS run against the ACC. NC State was 5-1 ATS at home in 2020. Clemson has punished the Wolfpack in their last two meetings, but these are not the same Tigers.
- The Pick: North Carolina +9.5 (-105)
Jack has covered college and professional sports for various Arizona media outlets since the 1980s and has written for the Associated Press, USA Today and Baseball America, among others. He staffed the 2015-17 World Series and has staffed four Super Bowls.
