Friday night college football comes to Charlottesville as the 0-3 Virginia Cavaliers welcome the 2-1 North Carolina Wolfpack for an all-ACC clash under the lights.
Who emerges victorious? Ahead of the game, we’ve got the latest college football betting odds, DFS picks, and a Virginia vs. NC State prediction.
Virginia vs. NC State Betting and DFS Preview
All odds from DraftKings Sportsbook and correct as of Thursday, Sept. 21, 2023. Want to take advantage of the Virginia vs. NC State odds? Visit the College Football Network live college football odds page right here.
- Spread
NC State +9.5 - Moneyline
NC State -380, Virginia +300 - Over/Under
48 points - Game time
7:30 p.m. ET - Location
Scott Stadium, Charlottesville, VA - Predicted Weather at Kick
64 degrees, 9-11 mph winds, partly cloudy - How to Watch
FuboTV, ESPN
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Got some spare dimes to dump on Dave Doeren’s NC State team? Is it worth investing your cash on a Cavaliers charge? If you’re going to take advantage of the Virginia vs. NC State odds, consider some of the following factors before you part with your hard-earned cash.
NC State heads into Charlottesville as a moneyline favorite and with history on their side. Although the two teams haven’t met since 2020, the Wolfpack are 36-22-1 all-time against Virginia, have won the last two games against their conference foe, and have also won the last two games played in Scott Stadium (2020 and 2011). Doeren’s team are a favorite for a reason: back them.
The spread is a little more complicated. Although they’re 2-1 this season, they’re 0-3 against the spread, failing to cover as a favorite against UConn and VMI. Our Virginia vs. NC State prediction has confidence in an outright win and the opinion that the Wolfpack should cover the spread for the first time this season. However, treat that with caution; confidence is not high.
Five of the six games featuring these two teams this season have covered the 48-point over/under line, and while there have been some offensive misfires from both teams, our Virginia vs. NC State prediction suggests this game could creep past the line.
Top DFS Picks and Fantasy Plays
Virginia Depth Chart | NC State Depth Chart
- QB Brennan Armstrong, NC State ($11,000)
- QB Anthony Colandrea, Virginia ($7.800)
- QB Tony Muskett, Virginia ($7,800)
- RB Kobe Pace, Virginia ($6,900)
- RB Perris Jones, Virginia ($6,800)
- RB Delbert Mimms, NC State ($6,500)
- RB Jordan Houston, NC State ($6,000)
- RB Mike Hollins, Virginia ($5,700)
- WR Malik Washington, Virginia ($9,000)
- WR Malachi Fields, Virginia ($7,600)
- WR Kevin Concepcion, NC State ($6,000)
- WR Keyon Lesane, NC State ($5,500)
- WR Porter Rooks, NC State ($5,400)
- WR Julian Gray, NC State ($5,300)
- WR Suderian Harrison, Virginia ($5,200)
- WR Brad Rozner, NC State ($5,100)
- TE Trent Pennix, NC State ($4,900)
- TE Grant Misch, Virginia ($4,500)
There are four Friday college football games to compile your DFS team from in Week 3. If you’re new to DFS, Fanduel Superflex contests require you to select a quarterback, two running backs, three wide receivers, then a “superflex” that can be any of the above or you can also select a tight end in the superflex spot.
Virginia’s current quarterback situation should ensure you don’t even consider investing your DFS picks in their murky waters. True freshman Anthony Colandrea is comfortably the more talented passer, but some early teething troubles with interception has seen Tony Muskett listed as the starter for this matchup. That said, he was last week against Maryland.
NC State quarterback Brennan Armstrong should garner serious consideration. While he’s not played to the same level that we saw while he was at Virginia in 2021, he faces a good matchup against a Cavaliers defense that has yet to secure an interception through three games while allowing the second-highest completion percentage and yards per game to the passing game.
Should you consider any other Virginia vs. NC State picks for your Friday night lineup? If you’re looking for a value running back pickup, Kobe Pace has proven impactful both on the ground and as a receiving option, leading the team with three total touchdowns. Although he’s yet to find the end zone, Kevin Concepcion has double the receptions of any other NC State WR.
Prediction for Virginia vs. NC State
Okay, so we’ve furnished you with the Virginia vs. NC State odds and some DFS picks and it’s time to close this thing out with our Virginia vs. NC State prediction. Can Tony Elliott lead a Cavaliers charge to the first win of the season on Friday night? Or will NC State grab their third win of the year and get their ACC campaign off to a flying start?
This game very much hinges on Virginia finding some offensive consistency. Right out the gate against Maryland, they proved problematic, with some nicely dialled-up trick plays and throws on the run making the most of freshman Colandrea’s obvious high-level talent. NC State has given up just as many passing touchdowns as the Cavaliers, so they can be vulnerable.
The issue for Virginia is that they’ve yet to prove they have that consistency within them, with run and pass game struggles early on. Additionally, while the Wolfpack have had their defensive struggles — namely being torn apart by a rampant Notre Dame team in the rain — they boast high-level defensive playmakers such as Davin Vann, Payton Wilson, and star CB Aydan White.
Remove the win over VMI from the equation, and NC State has hardly lit it up offensively. However, as discussed in the Virginia vs. NC State picks, Armstrong and offensive coordinator Robert Anae have the opportunity against a porous Virginia defense to figure out some things that can fire the Wolfpack to a win. A homecoming for Armstrong ends in a win over his former team.
Prediction: Virginia 21, NC State 31