Tennessee vs. NC State Odds, Predictions, Best Bets: Vols Clear Favorites

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Tennessee vs. NC State Betting Preview

Tennessee Volunteers Betting News, Analysis

No offense in the country has a higher ceiling than Tennessee’s. As we’ve written about this summer, there’s a real chance that the Josh Heupel offense could reach a new level with former five-star recruit Iamalaeava at the helm. In three years in Knoxville, Heupel’s team has finished in the top 10 in scoring in twice, including at No. 1 with 46 points per game in 2022.

Under last year’s QB, Joe Milton, the Tennessee offense still scored nearly 32 points per game, but was not nearly as explosive as it was in 2021 and 2022.

Iamaleava’s two starts are not much to go by, especially given that his debut in last year’s Citrus Bowl win over Iowa was a game that several top players skipped. But in limited work, he has looked the part after arriving in Knoxville as the No. 2 recruit in the 2023 high school class, behind only generational talent Arch Manning. Though he’s played just over six quarters of college football, Iamalaeava is currently 12-to-1 at DraftKings to win the Heisman Trophy (only five players currently have shorter Heisman odds).

In the Citrus Bowl win over Iowa, Iamaleava posted pedestrian passing numbers (12-of-19 for 151 yards and 1 TD) and was sacked six time. But he also ran for three scores and avoided turnovers — no small feat as a freshman facing one of the best defenses in the country.

And in Week 1 (albeit against overmatched FCS foe Chattanooga), Iamaleava was surgical, with 314 yards and three TDs on 22-of-28 passing before exiting his team’s blowout win early

On the other side of the ball, Tennessee DE James Pearce Jr. is a game-wrecker with a real chance to be the first name called in the 2025 NFL Draft. The Vols are light on big names on D aside from Pearce, and they’re particurlarly green in the secondary, but Pearce and the D-line will be one of the best in the country.

Tennessee’s defense struggled in Heupel’s first year as head coach, but it’s been rock-solid in the gauntlet that is the SEC the last two years.

NC State Wolfpack Betting News, Analysis

The Wolfpack have been one of the best teams in the ACC for several years, dating back to Doeren’s 2017 team, which went 9-4 (6-2 ACC) and finished the season at No. 23.

But the Pack has been unable to break through a conference championship win — or even an appearance — despite several close calls. This year, State added a ton of talent in the transfer portal, including veteran RB Jordan Waters from Duke and former three-time Sun Belt Player of the Year Grayson McCall at QB.

With more talent at the skill positions than it’s had in a long time, the Pack is seen as one of the top contenders to win the ACC (entering Week 2, State is 10-to-1 to win the league at DraftKings, behind Miami, Clemson and Louisville).

The Pack didn’t look like a top-25 team for the first half of its season opener against Western Carolina, but finished that game strong to gut out a 38-21 W.

NC State has been a good defensive team each of the last three years, but no teams in the ACC the last few years have tested the Wolfpack the way the Vols will.

NCSU fared well against Drake Maye and the Tar Heels the last two years, thanks in large part to its dominance of the Tar Heels up front (especially in 2023), but there’s a massive difference between the O- and D-lines in Chapel Hill and Knoxville.

Can State’s talented secondary led by veteran cornerback Aydan White lock down Tennessee’s high-powered passing game if Iamalaeava has time to throw? That’s a near-impossible ask of any secondary, even a good one, which makes it crucial that the Pack’s unproven linebackers and veteran D-line win at the line of scrimmage. That, too, will be a huge challenge against star Tennessee center Cooper Mays and a veteran O-line featuring multi-year starters at every position.

Tennessee vs. NC State Prediction, Best Bets

Both teams have plenty of talent and upside, but Tennessee has the advantage here thanks to its depth and how difficult its offense is to stop, especially for teams unaccustomed to the Vols’ tempo and ability to stretch the field.

The blueprint for beating Tennessee the last few years has revolved around overwhelming them physically. The problem is that outside of Georgia and Alabama, that’s not a realistic possibility for many teams in the country.

State is good enough and well-rounded enough to keep this game close for a half or more, especially if McCall shows off the pinpoint accuracy that made him a star at Coastal Carolina, but the Pack will need a near-perfect performance to knock off the high-flying Volunteers.

The safest plays are the Over and NCSU on the first-half spread, as Tennessee’s depth makes it a hard team to keep up with in a 60-minute track meet.

Tennessee vs. NC State Best Bets

• Over 60.5 (best odds: -110 at ESPN BET)
• NC State first half +6.5 (best odds: -105 at DraftKings)

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