The 18^th-ranked North Carolina State Wolfpack will face the 25^th-ranked Kansas State Wildcats in the 2023 Pop-Tarts Bowl on Thursday, December 28^th, in Orlando, Florida at Camping World Stadium with the game scheduled to start at 5:45 on Thursday evening and will air on ESPN.

 

The North Carolina State Wolfpack enter this game ranked 18^th in the College Football Playoff rankings with a record of 9-3 and are on a five-game winning streak following a 39-20 win at home against the North Carolina Tar Heels in their regular season finale. The success for North Carolina State this season can be attributed to their defense as they enter this game allowing an average of 20.17 points per game which ranks 25^th in college football. The North Carolina State Wolfpack will look to extend their winning streak to six games when they face the Kansas State Wildcats.

 

Kansas State enters this game ranked 25^th in the College Football Playoff rankings with a record of 8-4, however, they lost their season finale at home against the Iowa State Cyclones by a score of 35-42. The Wildcats are one of the highest-scoring teams in the nation and have dominated the season with their rushing offense as they enter this game averaging the 10^th most points per game with an average of 37.83 points per game while averaging the 12^th most rushing yards per game with an average of 199.92 rushing yards per game. 

 

DJ Giddens played a pivotal role in the success the running game had for Kansas State and enters this game with 1,075 yards and nine touchdowns while adding 28 receptions for 286 yards and two touchdowns.

 

Defensively, the Wildcats have also been an above-average scoring defense as they are allowing an average of 21.17 points per game. The Kansas State Wildcats will look to bounce back following the loss against Iowa State when they play the North Carolina State Wolfpack in the 2023 Pop-Tarts Bowl.

 

BookMaker has the Kansas State Wildcats listed as 2.5-point favorites against the North Carolina State Wolfpack in the 2023 Pop-Tarts Bowl on Thursday evening. This will be the first time in the history of these two programs that they will face each other in college football. The North Carolina State Wolfpack are 7-5 ATS overall and 5-2 ATS as an underdog this season while the Kansas State Wildcats are 7-4-1 ATS overall and 6-4 ATS as a favorite on the year.

 

North Carolina has been one of the hottest teams in college football to end the season as they have won their last six games entering the bowl game against Kansas State. The Wolfpack have also been one of the best teams in college football at covering the spread as an underdog as they are 5-2 ATS as an underdog. I look for those trends to continue in this matchup.

 

NC State has a stout defense and one of the best in the league with a veteran team. K State has a new Offensive Coordinator, lost a few players in the transfer portal and one of them being their star cornerback along with a new starting QB.  NC State keeps this close.