2011 Belk Bowl Odds
Written by Jack Jones - Google +
The North Carolina State Wofpack take on the Louisville Cardinals in the 2011 Belk Bowl on Tuesday, December 27th. The Wolpack finished strong after a 2-3 start, including an upset of then-No. 7 Clemson. They pulled off the biggest comeback in school history with a 56-41 victory over Maryland in their season finale. Louisville also bounced back from a 2-4 start to finish with a share of the Big East title, nearly making a BCS bowl. These two resilient teams will battle it out at 8:00 EST on ESPN Tuesday.
Oddsmakers have installed a line of North Carolina State -2.5 over Louisville with a total set of 45 points.
North Carolina State
Head coach Tom O’Brien will be taking the Wolpack to a bowl game for a third time in his five years on the job. North Carolina State (7-5) didn’t appear to be a bowl team early in the season, but few teams finished as strong as they did in the ACC. The Wolpack won five of their last seven games, became bowl eligible with their win over Clemson, and erased a 41-14 deficit over the final 21 minutes to beat Maryland on Senior Day in their finale. Mike Glennon threw for 306 yards and a career-high five touchdowns to lead the comeback.
NC State is 13-11-1 all-time in bowl games. This will be their eighth bowl appearance since the turn of the century. They are on a mini-hot streak in the postseason, winning four of their last five bowl games. That includes a 23-7 victory over West Virginia in the 2010 Champs Sports Bowl last season. Few coaches have had as much success in the postseason as O’Brien. He owns a 7-2 record in bowl games dating back to his time at Boston College.
The Wolfpack rank 89th in the country in total offense (346.2 yards/game) and 38th in total defense (351.9 yards/game). Glennon is quietly having a great year, completing 62.4 percent of his passes for 2,790 yards with 28 touchdowns and 11 interceptions. James Washington is their leading rusher with 852 yards and seven scores, though NC State ranks just 105th in rushing offense (108.2 yards/game). Glennon likes to spread the ball around as they have six different players with 30-plus catches on the season, led by T.J. Graham (39 receptions, 641 yards, five TD).
Louisville
Many experts picked the Cardinals to finish near the bottom of the Big East this season. That was understandable considering they returned just 10 starters, including three on offense. Louisville (5-7) rebounded from a 2-4 start by winning five of their final six games. That closing effort earned the Cardinals a share of the Big East title, though they would be edged out by West Virginia for a BCS bowl due to their ranking in the final BCS standings. It was an excellent year for head coach Charlie Strong and company nonetheless.
Strong has greatly exceeded expectations in his first two seasons on the job. He led Louisville to a 7-6 record and their first bowl game since 2006 last season, beating Southern Miss 31-28 in the Beef ‘O’ Brady’s Bowl. The Cardinals are 7-7-1 all-time in bowl games. They attended a bowl each season from 1998-2006. After a mini drought, Strong has this program on the rise. Louisville football will be contending for Big East titles for years to come.
The Cardinals won a share of the conference title in spite of their offense. Louisville ranked just 100th in the country in total offense (328.2 yards/game) while averaging a mere 21.8 points. This team has remained competitive because of a defense that ranks 22nd in the FBS in yards allowed (327.8 yards/game) while giving up only 19.2 points/game. Quarterback Teddy Bridgewater is completing 66.0 percent of his passes for 1,855 yards with 12 touchdowns and nine interceptions. Their leading rusher in Dominique Brown (482 yards, four TD) and their leading receiver in Michaelee Harris (37 receptions, 455 yards, two TD) do not scare opponents.
Betting Trends
The Cardinals are 12-1 ATS in their last 13 vs. ACC opponents, 6-0 ATS in their last 6 games as an underdog, and 7-1 ATS in their last 8 games overall.
The Wolpack are 5-2-1 ATS in their last 8 games overall, and 4-0-1 ATS in their last 5 bowl games.
Projected Score: North Carolina State 24 – Louisville 21
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