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PapaJohns.com Bowl: North Carolina State vs. Rutgers Football Picks

Written December 27, 2008 by Jason Lowry

Rutgers NC State Football

When the North Carolina State Wolfpack take on the Rutgers Scarlet Knights this upcoming Monday in the PapaJohns.com Bowl, it might not be a battle of two of the best teams in the country, but it will be a showdown between two of the teams playing the best football to end the regular season. After starting the season 2-6 the Wolfpack finished off with 4 straight wins, including victories over Wake Forest, North Carolina, and Miami. As for Rutgers they started the season 1-5 and the season looked over, but instead this team rallied to win 6 straight games and finish up 7-5. So for those of you looking to do some NCAA football betting on this game, the oddsmakers have Rutgers 7 point favorites over North Carolina State at BetUS.com .

The Wolfpack come fresh off their 38-28 win over the Miami Hurricanes, and the offense has really started to click at the end of the season. Overall this team comes in averaging nearly 24 points a game and a solid 326 yards of total offense. The main reason for all those yards is freshman quarterback Russell Wilson, who not only was ACC Rookie of the Year but First-Team All-ACC as well. Wilson wound up throwing for 1,769 yards but the most impressive stat was his 16 touchdown tosses to just 1 interception. Wilson has also helped out a pretty mediocre running game, as he ran for 342 yards and 4 more touchdowns this season. The big playmakers for Wilson are top receiver Owen Spencer and running back Andre Brown, as long as Wilson stays on the field we like what this unit can do not only in this bowl game, but for the next few years as well.

The defense for the Wolfpack seems to be hit or miss this season, but after allowing over 30 points in the first 8 games of the season, they have really turned it on allowing just 18 points a game during their 4 game winning streak. Overall they are giving up a ton of yards both in the passing and running game, but as the offense has got better so has the defense. This unit has created 27 turnovers on the season, and are led by the big play making ability of Willie Young who leads the teams with 6.5 sacks and Nate Irving who leads the way with 4 interceptions in just 9 games this season. Look for another strong outing from this unit as they try to snap Rutgers winning streak. Bet North Carolina State Wolfpack +7 at BetUS.com.

Just like the Wolfpack the Scarlet Knights offense has been a tale of two different halves, as this unit is averaging 46.2 points a game over its last 5 games, after scoring just 16 points a game over the first 7. The big reason for the Knights success is the passing game, as Mike Teel went off over the last 6 games throwing for 1,929 yards and 20 touchdowns, including a 447 yard 7 touchdown performance against Louisville in the final game of the season. Teel has 3,099 yards on the season and needs just 56 to set the school record for yards in a single season. The guy doing all the work on the outside is receiver Kenny Britt who ranks among the best in the nation with 81 catches for 1,252 yards and 2 touchdowns.

On the defensive side of things Rutgers has been strong all season, as they come into the game letting opponents score just 18.5 points a game. Its been a little shaky against the run allowing nearly 140 yards a game, but has been excellent against the pass, holding teams to just 185 yards a game and only 8 touchdowns all season. The big reason for the success against the pass is the Knights pressure up front, as they have 28 sacks on the season, but one statistic of concern is the takeaway department, as Rutgers forced just 17 turnovers all season. Bet Rutgers Scarlet Knights -7 at BetUS.com.

Lowry’s Lean on the Game: Rutgers -7
With the way the Rutgers defense plays against the pass, and the fact that the Wolfpack are a pass heavy offense, I have a hard time believing they can keep up with Rutgers scoring. This team took a few games but they really got things rolling in the right direction, and this teams only two conferences losses were on the road to West Virginia and Cincinnati by a combined 10 points.

Predicted Score: Rutgers 38 North Carolina State 27

Check out the latest NCAA football picks from our experts and grab the best college football odds for all the bowl games at Betfirms.

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