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It feels like ages ago, but there was a time this season when it seemed like Florida State was on a path towards contending for the ACC crown and a spot in the College Football Playoff.
The Seminoles started the season with a huge upset of Alabama, and then followed that up by hanging 77 points on East Texas A&M and then 66 on Kent State. All was well in Tallahassee. Nobody was calling for Mike Norvell to be fired.
A Week 4 showdown with Virginia changed all of that.
The Seminoles fell to the Cavaliers and spiraled from there, losing their next three games to Miami, Pittsburgh, and Stanford.
The Seminoles would squeeze together two more wins from there, putting them at 5-5 and one victory short of bowl eligibility with two games to play.
Florida State is a 4.5-point favorite at NC State on Friday evening.
Florida State vs. NC State odds, prediction
Florida State’s offense has some snazzy stats on paper, but a lot of that damage has been done against also-rans like East Texas A&M, Kent State, and Virginia Tech. And a lot of the heavy lifting was done at home.
The Seminoles have been dreadful on the road, losing to Virginia, Stanford, and Clemson, and scoring under 14 points in the latter two contests.
Florida State should have success against a leaky NC State defense, but who knows what version of the Seminoles we will get in Raleigh. They’ve got one more game left on the other side of this encounter, and it’s a big one against their hated rivals from Gainesville. It won’t be a shock if they’re looking past the Wolfpack in an otherwise dead-rubber game.
NC State Wolfpack quarterback CJ Bailey. Sam Navarro-Imagn Images
The Wolfpack are in a similar predicament. NC State’s expectations weren’t as high as Florida State’s, but a 5-5 record will be viewed as a disappointment, and there’s not too much to be gained from this one outside of bowl eligibility. The Wolfpack, too, have a date with their hated rival, UNC, on deck.
NC State’s offense has covered up some of its defensive flaws, but the Wolfpack won’t find it easy against a talented defense that has held plenty of better attacks in check.
Betting on College Football?
It’s a Friday night game in primetime on national television. It’s a Power 4 matchup featuring one of the biggest programs in the country. This should have been a spectacle, but instead it projects to be a drag.
Don’t expect to see the best version of either one of these teams on Friday evening.
The Play: Under 61.5 (-110, bet365)
Why Trust New York Post Betting
Michael Leboff is a long-suffering Islanders fan, but a long-profiting sports bettor with 10 years of experience in the gambling industry. He loves using game theory to help punters win bracket pools, find long shots, and learn how to beat the market in mainstream and niche sports.
