Virginia will travel to Raleigh for a matchup with North Carolina State on Saturday. These conference rivals both picked up a season-opening win last weekend. However, each program still has a lot to prove following sub-.500 campaigns in 2024. Which of these ACC foes has the edge this afternoon? Below is my prediction and pick for College Football Week 2’s game between the Virginia Cavaliers and the North Carolina State Wolfpack.
North Carolina State enters this contest as three-point favorites over Virginia, with the over/under set at 54.5 points on DraftKings Sportsbook.
Virginia vs. North Carolina State prediction, preview
NC State is now entering Year 2 of the C.J. Bailey era. It was an encouraging, albeit inconsistent, 2024 campaign from the freshman. Through 12 games, he threw for 2,413 yards and 17 touchdowns. On the ground, he ran for 279 yards and five more scores. A balanced rushing attack saw three different Wolfpack players gain at least 425 rushing yards. Of that trio, only Daylan “Hollywood” Smothers remains this season. Still, this program averaged 28.5 points, 62nd-best in the nation. A similar level of production, given Bailey’s continued progression, is the expectation in 2025. Expect the young QB to throw early and often on Saturday. Virginia coughed up 277.0 yards per game to opposing passers last season, the ACC’s third-worst mark.
With that being said, the Wolfpack are no sure things on defense, either. However, last week’s 24-17 win over an up-tempo East Carolina offense had some positive signs. New defensive coordinator DJ Eliot dialed up the pressure, and his defensive line went to work. Although North Carolina State recorded just one sack, the team racked up nine tackles for loss. With that being said, the team did allow ECU quarterback Katin Houser to throw for 366 yards. Saturday presents yet another challenge, this time against a pass-heavy Virginia squad. The Cavaliers rely heavily on Chandler Morris, and it’s easy to see why. The senior QB accumulated 3,774 passing yards and 31 touchdowns with North Texas last season.
Virginia vs. North Carolina pick, best bet
This game will come down to who can generate the most stops on defense. After all, both of these offenses are led by dynamic signal callers. Bailey makes his biggest impact with speed, whereas Morris is a more traditional pocket passer. The Cavaliers allowed 145.25 rushing yards per game last year, ninth-best in the ACC. That doesn’t mean they’ll stop Bailey, but they can limit the damage. In comparison, one win over East Carolina doesn’t ease all my concerns about NC State’s secondary. I’ll back Morris and the Hoos at plus money on Saturday.
