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NC State

NC State a slight underdog going into road tilt at Duke

image_6483441 (3)by: Noah Fleischman10 hours agofleischman_noah
CJ Bailey
Sep 6, 2025; Raleigh, North Carolina, USA; North Carolina State Wolfpack quarterback CJ Bailey (11) celebrates a touchdown with wide receiver Wesley Grimes (6) during the first half of the game against Virginia Cavaliers at Carter-Finley Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Jaylynn Nash-Imagn Images

NC State is 3-0 for the first time since the 2022 campaign after it outlasted East Carolina before posting back-to-back comeback wins over Virginia and at Wake Forest. 

Now, the Wolfpack will put its unblemished record on the line against another in-state opponent as it visits Duke on Saturday afternoon (4 p.m., ESPN2) at Wallace Wade Stadium in Durham. But for the first time this fall, the Wolfpack will do so as the underdog. 

The Blue Devils are currently a 2.5-point favorite to begin game week, according to BetMGM, where 70 percent of the bets via the spread are on the Pack.

NC State goes into the program’s third matchup with a team from North Carolina 2-1 against the spread this fall. The Pack failed to cover its season-opening win over ECU (-13.5, won, 24-17), but it did meet the Vegas spreads in its victories against Virginia (-3, won, 35-31) and at Wake Forest (-7, won, 34-24). 

Duke, meanwhile, is 0-3 against the spread during its 1-2 start to the season. The Blue Devils didn’t cover in its win over Elon (-36.5, won, 45-17) or in its losses to Illinois (+2.5, lost 45-19) and at Tulane (+1, lost 34-27). 

While Duke hasn’t been able to meet its spreads this fall, the Blue Devils have won four of the last five games against NC State. The Wolfpack lost 29-19 inside Carter-Finley Stadium last season, while it dropped its last road trip to Durham in 24-3 fashion during the 2024 campaign. NC State’s last win at Duke came in a 27-17 victory behind star quarterback Russell Wilson in 2008.

As NC State looks to turn the tide in the series, which it trails 37-45-5 all-time, it will do so with its dynamic offense and up-and-down defense. 

Sophomore quarterback CJ Bailey has thrown for 719 yards with five touchdowns and an interception on a 70.8 completion rate, while he has rushed for 84 yards and three scores in his first full season as the starter. Redshirt sophomore running back Hollywood Smothers, meanwhile, has rushed for 380 yards and three touchdowns on 63 attempts. 

Defensively, redshirt senior linebacker Sean Brown leads the Wolfpack with 31 total tackles, while graduate linebacker Caden Fordham is closely behind with 26, including a sack. Those two captains pace the group that has gotten off to slow starts the past two weeks, though it has become one of the best second-half defenses in the nation with just 7 total points allowed in the final two quarters in the previous pair of games. 

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