2 Best College Football Bets and Player Props for North Carolina State at Wake Forest

There is only one college football game taking place on Thursday, pitting two ACC opponents against each other to kick off Week 3 action. It will be the North Carolina State Wolfpack taking on the Wake Forest Demon Deacons in a matchup between two 2-0 programs, with kickoff scheduled to take place at 7:30 p.m. ET.

While tuning in to see which team remains undefeated, how should we bet this game?

All college football betting odds come from FanDuel Sportsbook and may change after this article is published.

North Carolina State at Wake Forest Betting Picks

Wake Forest Over 21.5 Total Points (-112)

Despite the Wolfpack boasting a 2-0 record, their defense has been a shaky unit, especially after coughing up 31 points in last week's win over the Virginia Cavaliers. Across their first two games this season, NC State is permitting the 13th-most yards per game (463.5).

The advanced metrics are also very concerning for the Wolfpack, as their defense is sitting at 117th in expected points added per play allowed (0.14), 120th in expected points added allowed per passing attempt (0.27), and 73rd in expected points added allowed per rushing attempt (-0.06). With NC State also ranking 113th in yards per play (6.54), Wake Forest has enough firepower on offense to score 22-plus points at home in a crucial conference matchup under new head coach Jake Dickert.

Even though the Demon Deacons are only 81st in expected points added per drop back (0.02), they are 32nd in yards per drop back (8.77), and they have a solid rushing duo with quarterback Robby Ashford and running back Demond Claiborne. Backing Wake Forest's team total is more about the lack of resistance North Carolina State's defense has shown up to this point.

CJ Bailey Anytime Touchdown (-115)

On the other side of the field, CJ Bailey will be under center for the Wolfpack, and he's gotten off to a solid start in terms of efficiency, completing 70.2% of his passes for 518 yards through the first two games of the season. However, we'll be taking Bailey to find the end zone with his legs on Thursday night.

While running back Daylan Smothers is pacing NC State in rushing with 216 yards and 3 touchdowns on 39 attempts, Bailey is second on the team in rushing, totaling 65 yards and 3 scores on 13 attempts. Two of Bailey's three rushing touchdowns have come in the red zone, and with college quarterback's rushing yards being negatively affected by sacks, I'd prefer to back Bailey's chances of scoring rather than his rushing yards prop.

The Wolfpack haven't had issues moving the ball down the field, ranking 37th in expected points added per pass (0.27), 26th in expected points added per rush (0.17), and 15th in early downs expected points added per play (0.24). With Bailey being an effective rusher once NC State gets in scoring situations, it's worth taking him in the anytime touchdown market at these odds.

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The above author is a FanDuel employee and is not eligible to compete in public daily fantasy contests or place sports betting wagers on FanDuel. The advice provided by the author does not necessarily represent the views of FanDuel. Taking the author's advice will not guarantee a successful outcome. You should use your own judgment when participating in daily fantasy contests or placing sports wagers.