No. 14 Tennessee (1-0) and No. 24 NC State (1-0) are set to clash in the 2024 Duke’s Mayo Classic on Saturday night in Charlotte. The Volunteers kicked off their season with a resounding 69-3 victory over Chattanooga, where redshirt freshman quarterback Nico Iamaleava earned SEC Freshman of the Week honors after breaking a school record for passing yards in a half. Meanwhile, NC State aims to secure a rare victory against an SEC opponent, having lost nine of their last ten matchups against such teams. The Wolfpack also enjoyed a win in their opener, defeating Western Carolina with a score of 38-21.
The Duke’s Mayo Classic will begin at 7:30 p.m. ET at Bank of America Stadium in Charlotte. The Volunteers are currently favored by 9 points, according to the latest odds from SportsLine, with an over/under total set at 60 points. Fans are encouraged to review the college football predictions and betting advice provided by the SportsLine Projection Model before placing any bets on the NC State vs. Tennessee game.
The SportsLine model analyzes each FBS college football game 10,000 times and has generated a profit of over $2,000 for $100 players on its top-rated picks against the spread. It also had a successful last season with a 13-9 record on those high-rated picks. Those who have been following the model have seen impressive returns.
Currently, the model has focused on the NC State vs. Tennessee game and has finalized its predictions. Here’s a look at the betting lines for the matchup:
– Spread: Tennessee -9
– Over/Under: 60 points
– Money line: Tennessee -351, NC State +276
Regarding trends, NC State is 5-0 against the spread in its last five Saturday games, while Tennessee has a 7-2 record against the spread in its last nine games when favored.
For NC State, quarterback Grayson McCall, a transfer from Coastal Carolina, has proven himself with over 2,400 passing yards in three different seasons. He passed for 318 yards and three touchdowns last week against Western Carolina. The Wolfpack’s senior running back Jordan Waters rushed for 123 yards and two touchdowns, and sophomore wide receiver Kevin Concepcion caught nine passes for 121 yards and three touchdowns in that same game. Additionally, NC State has covered the spread in five of their last six games and has won 11 of 15 Week 2 matchups.
On the Tennessee side, the team dominated Chattanooga, leading 45-0 at halftime, which allowed coach Josh Heupel to rest his starters in the latter half. Nico Iamaleava set a school record with 314 passing yards in the first half, completing 22 of 28 attempts and throwing three touchdown passes. Senior wide receiver Bru McCoy returned from injury and contributed with six catches for 89 yards. Tennessee’s offense will face an NC State secondary missing starting safety Devan Boykin, recovering from a knee injury.
As far as betting strategies go, the SportsLine model favors the Under for total points, estimating 54 combined points, while suggesting that one side of the spread hits nearly 60% of the time. Those interested can check SportsLine for the exact picks.
As the anticipation builds for the showdown between Tennessee and North Carolina State, stakeholders will be eager to see which team emerges victorious and whether the spread pans out as the model predicts.