The North Carolina State Wolfpack made their 3^rd consecutive bowl game last season finishing with a record of 8-5, however, they are 0-2 with a cancellation in the 2021 bowl game during that span including last season’s 12-16 loss against the Maryland Terrapins in the Duke’s Mayo Bowl game. This season, the Wolfpack enter the year with an over/under win total of 7 wins which means they are projected to be a bowl-caliber team this season for the 4^th consecutive year. NC State is projected to be the 5^th best team in the ACC as they are +1400 to win the conference behind the Clemson Tigers, Florida State Seminoles, North Carolina Tar Heels, and Louisville Cardinals.

The Connecticut Huskies started last season with a record of 1-4 before winning five of their next six games, however, they finished the season with two losses including a 14-28 loss in the Myrtle Beach Bowl against the Marshall Thundering Herd. The Huskies enter this season with an over/under win total of 5 wins which means they are projected to miss a bowl game this season in Jim Mora’s 2^nd season as the head coach for the Huskies.

BookMaker has the North Carolina State Wolfpack listed as 15-point favorites on the road against the Connecticut Huskies in week 1 of the college football season on Thursday. This will be the 4^th time that these teams have faced each other in college football with North Carolina State winning the previous three matchups while the Huskies are 2-0-1 ATS in those matchups. North Carolina State finished with a record of 4-9 ATS overall, 1-4 ATS on the road, and 2-6 ATS as a favorite while the Huskies finished 9-4 ATS overall, 5-1 ATS at home, and 6-4 ATS as an underdog.

North Carolina State is the more talented team entering the year based on Vegas odds of an over/under win total of 7 wins while Connecticut has an over/under win total of 5 games. The Wolfpack have won the previous three matchups in the series, however, the Huskies went 2-0-1 ATS in those contests. Connecticut was also the better team at covering the spread last season going 9-4 ATS compared to North Carolina State finishing with a record of 4-9 ATS. 

I look for the North Carolina State Wolfpack to get the win in this contest and win their 4^th consecutive game against Connecticut, however, the Wolfpack not only struggled at covering the spread in the series but struggled last season against the spread while the Huskies are 2-0-1 ATS in the series and finished with a record of 9-4 ATS last season. I look for the North Carolina State Wolfpack to get the win in the matchup, however, given the trends in the series and last season’s ATS record for both teams, I will be taking the Connecticut Huskies at +15 at home against the North Carolina State Wolfpack in week 1 of the college football on BookMaker for this matchup on Thursday evening.