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One of the top matchups in the ACC in Week 8 is an early Saturday afternoon tilt between the 4-2 North Carolina State Wolfpack and the 5-1 Louisville Cardinals. This Atlantic Division clash from Papa John’s Cardinal Stadium is set to kick off at 12 p.m. (ET) and the game will be broadcast nationally on ABC.
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North Carolina State at Louisville Game Overview<br />
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I went with NC State as a heavy 20-point road underdog against Clemson last week as one of my “best bet” picks and it almost pulled off the straight-up upset in a tough 24-17 overtime loss. The Wolfpack are now 4-2 on the year with a profitable 5-1 record against the spread. The total has stayed UNDER in their last two games after going OVER or ending as a PUSH in their first four outings. Overall, the total has gone OVER in six of their last nine games.
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Ryan Finley only completed half of his 40 passing attempts against the Tigers for 231 yards and he was picked off twice. The Wolfpack only gained 128 yards on the ground and they were still able to take one of the top teams in the nation into overtime and they could have won the game if they would have converted on a 33-yard field goal attempt at the end of regulation. Credit NC State’s defense with four takeaways that went a long way towards keeping this game so close.
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Louisville moved to 5-1 SU on the year with last week’s home win against Duke, but it came nowhere close to covering as a 34.5-point favorite in a tight 24-14 victory. It is now 4-2 ATS on the year and while the total stayed UNDER 69.5 points in that game, it had gone OVER in the Cardinals’ first five contests. They are a perfect 5-0 SU in their last five home games and the total has gone OVER in four of their last six games played at home.
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The big story in Louisville this season has been the play of Heisman frontrunner Lamar Jackson. As the team’s quarterback, he has thrown for 1,806 yards and 15 touchdowns against four interceptions. As the team’s leading rusher, he has gained 832 yards on 113 carries while finding the end zone another 15 times. His play has the Cardinals ranked first in the nation in scoring with an average of 52.3 points a game.
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North Carolina State at Louisville Game Betting Trends<br />
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The Wolfpack are 9-4 ATS in their last 13 road games, but they have failed to cover in five of their last seven games against a team with a SU winning record. The total has gone OVER in four of their last five games following a SU loss.
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The Cardinals are 3-1-1 ATS in their last five games following a SU win, but they have failed to cover in seven of their last 10 games against the ACC. The total has gone OVER in six of their last seven conference games.
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Head-to-head in this ACC divisional matchup, Louisville has won four of the last five meetings SU and its holds a slight 3-2 edge ATS. The total has stayed UNDER or ended as a PUSH in three of the last four games between the two.
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