Boston College vs NC State Odds & Predictions: Morehead to Lead Eagles

Boston College vs NC State Odds & Predictions: Morehead to Lead Eagles article feature image
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Maddie Malhotra/Getty Images. Pictured: Boston College quarterback Emmett Morehead.

Boston College vs NC State Odds

Saturday, Nov. 12
3:30 p.m. ET
ACC Network
Boston College Odds
SpreadTotalMoneyline
+18.5
-118
40.5
-118o / -104u
+890
NC State Odds
SpreadTotalMoneyline
-18.5
-104
40.5
-118o / -104u
-1700
Odds via FanDuel. Get up-to-the-minute college football odds here.

Just when all hope for NC State's season was lost, the Wolfpack rallied around their new leader to help revive their aspirations.

NC State's victory over Wake Forest last week was monumental, as it vaulted the Wolfpack to the No. 16 spot in the most recent College Football Playoff rankings.

As for the Eagles, it's been a rough campaign. They enter this matchup on a four-game losing streak, and it may continue depending on whether or not their starting quarterback plays.

Despite the gloomy outlook for this matchup, the market seems to think all is not lost for Boston College here. Let's dig in and see if their belief will pay off.


Boston College Eagles

When it comes to the Eagles, it starts and ends with quarterback Phil Jurkovec. The senior is the leader of this team, and his experience and skill drastically change this Boston College offense.

However, with Jurkovec missing last week's game due to a knee injury, many are clamoring for the coaching staff to make a change in an effort to see what they have for the future.

In steps redshirt freshman Emmett Morehead. Morehead had a tremendous game against Duke, torching the Blue Devils for 330 yards and four touchdowns. However, BC lost that game. While he impressed last week, neither he nor Jukovec will have substantial success this week.

NC State is still a top team because its defense has played at an elite level this year. Its metrics are very impressive, ranking 10th in Passing Success Rate Allowed and 15th in Rushing Success Rate.

Those types of numbers keep teams off the board, as the Wolfpack has allowed just 19.6 points per game.

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NC State Wolfpack

The Wolfpack can relate to the Eagles offensively, as they've lost their starting quarterback for the season and have turned to a freshman of their own. True freshman MJ Morris has led NC State to two victories in his first two career starts.

You have to be impressed with Morris, as he's thrown six touchdowns without an interception and is averaging 8.3 yards per completion.

He has rejuvenated this offense, as incumbent starter Devin Leary was unable to generate explosiveness with the downfield passing game. But Morris has made them much more dynamic.

Not to mention, he can run too. Morris carried the ball 19 times for 43 yards against Wake Forest. So, not only is he improving the passing game, but he can help a poor rushing offense that averages just 3.2 yards per carry.

On top of all this, he and the Wolfpack have a good matchup through the air. Boston College enters 116th in coverage rating, per PFF.

That has resulted in the opposition completing passes for an average of 7.3 yards, which is good for 69th in the country. So, we may see the best game yet out of the true freshman.


Boston College vs NC State Matchup Analysis

Toggle the dropdowns below to hide or show how Boston College and NC State match up statistically:

Boston College Offense vs. NC State Defense
Offense
Defense
Edge
Rush Success12215
Line Yards1305
Pass Success11210
Pass Blocking**9066
Havoc12812
Finishing Drives9627
** Pass Blocking (Off.) vs. Pass Rush (Def.)

NC State Offense vs. Boston College Defense
Offense
Defense
Edge
Rush Success6337
Line Yards7918
Pass Success8068
Pass Blocking**7291
Havoc4757
Finishing Drives89115
** Pass Blocking (Off.) vs. Pass Rush (Def.)

The pace of Play / Other
PFF Tackling6879
PFF Coverage11628
SP+ Special Teams12114
Seconds per Play26.3 (60)27.8 (98)
Rush Rate44.7% (114)50.6% (82)
Data via CollegeFootballData.com (CFBD), FootballOutsiders, SP+, Pro Football Focus, and SportSource Analytics.

Boston College vs NC State Betting Pick

What would have been a battle between two of the most experienced quarterbacks in the ACC has turned into one between two of the most inexperienced quarterbacks.

This battle of promising freshmen is an interesting game to watch, as both staff and fan bases will get a good look at what they have and who they'll be up against for the foreseeable future.

While we went over each team from an offensive standpoint, the unit with the most significant edge in this matchup is NC State's defense. It's been top-tier all year long and will be a true test for Morehead. However, he's coming off his best game yet and has plenty of room to grow here.

In a game that will be defined by inexperience and one excellent defense, it will not be a blowout. So, back Morehead and the Eagles to hang around here.

Pick: Boston College +19

About the Author
Doug Ziefel is a contributor for the Action Network. He specializes in College Fooball, College Basketball, and rooting for bad New York teams.

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