The appetizer leading into the College Football Playoff on Friday afternoon is the Gasparilla Bowl in Tampa between Memphis and North Carolina State.
The Tigers (8-4) are in a coaching transition after Ryan Silverfield left the program following six years as head coach to take over at Arkansas. Three offensive coaches, along with their offensive coordinator followed Silverfield to Fayetteville and will not be on the sidelines for this game.
Memphis stumbles into Tampa on a three-game losing streak following an impressive 8-1 start.
The Wolfpack (7-5) closed on a strong note, beating Florida State and North Carolina to qualify for their fourth straight bowl game.
Let’s look at the Memphis vs. NC State prediction and picks for Friday’s Gasparilla Bowl at Raymond James Stadium in Tampa, kicking off at 2:30 p.m. ET on ESPN.
Memphis vs. NC State Prediction, Spread, Over/Under
The Wolfpack were favored six times, covering four times in this role. The Tigers own a 2-1 against the spread mark as an underdog.
Memphis vs. NC State Over/Under, Spread
The Wolfpack enter this matchup as 3.5-point favorites, returning a 1.51x payout on PrizePicks Team Picks if they win outright.
The Tigers are underdogs with a 2.38x payout if they win, via PrizePicks Team Picks.
- Spread: NC State -3.5
- Over/Under: 55.5
- Game Winner Payout: Memphis 2.38x | NC State 1.51x
(Team Picks data is live at the time of writing and is subject to change)
Memphis vs. NC State Prediction on Spread
Here are some stats to know to get you set for Memphis vs. NC State tonight, including insights on our Memphis vs. NC State prediction.
- For the first two months, Memphis compiled an impressive 8-1 against the spread mark. The Tigers knocked off Arkansas and USF as home underdogs along with three road victories by double-digits.
- The lone hiccup in the opening nine games was a perplexing 31-24 defeat at UAB as 24-point favorites. Tigers QB Brendon Lewis left in the third quarter, as Memphis was denied on a goal stand looking to tie things up in the final seconds.
- Two of the final three losses came at home to Tulane and Navy, while dropping a 31-27 decision at East Carolina. The Memphis defense allowed at least 28 points in five of the last six games.
- NC State’s last three losses were nothing short of ugly. The Wolfpack were routed at Notre Dame (36-7), pounded at Pittsburgh (53-34), and mauled at Miami (41-7).
- The highlight victory for the Wolfpack came in a 48-36 triumph over Georgia Tech as 5.5-point home underdogs on November 1. The Yellow Jackets entered that matchup at 8-0 and still fell short of the ACC title game.
- The Wolfpack covered in all three opportunities as a single-digit favorite, defeating Virginia, Wake Forest, and North Carolina. NC State posted at least 34 points in each of those victories.
- Memphis’ defense is ranked 118th in EPA/Pass, facing a NC State attack sitting 19th in the nation in EPA/Pass.
- Since throwing 3 INTs against Notre Dame on October 11, Wolfpack QB C.J. Bailey has posted 9 TDs and 2 INTs in the past five games.
Make Picks on CFB on PrizePicks
The Gasparilla Bowl showcases a pair of solid teams looking to close on a winning note as Memphis tries to end a three-game slide against NC State.
There’s never been a better time to add to the excitement of every CFB moment than with PrizePicks.
There is a wide variety of player stat projections on the CFB board, so you can build your Lineup however you’d like — with no salary or positional restrictions. Just pick at least two player stat projections to build your Lineup on PrizePicks.
Check out the Playbook throughout the season for more CFB picks, predictions, and news every day.
