NC State at West Virginia NCAA Football Picks and Tips 9/14/2019

Saturday, September 14, 2019

Mountaineer Field at Milan Puskar Stadium

Mountaineer Field at Milan Puskar Stadium is the site where Austin Kendall and the West Virginia Mountaineers will play the NC State Wolfpack on Saturday. The spread on this contest has NC State as 7-point favorites. The over/under opens at 49. The Wolfpack are 1-1-0 ATS and 0-2-0 when betting on the total. The Mountaineers are 0-2-0 when wagering on the over/under and 0-1-1 against the spread.

Key NC State Wolfpack Injuries

09/02/19 WR C.J. Riley ACL is out for season

Key West Virginia Mountaineers Injuries

09/08/19 RB Leddie Brown Undisclosed is questionable Saturday vs NC State
09/08/19 DL Taijh Alston Knee is questionable Saturday vs NC State
08/21/19 LB Vandarius Cowan Suspension is OUT first 4 games of season

In their last game, the NC State Wolfpack played the Western Carolina Catamounts and earned the win by a score of 41-0. Taking the lead at quarterback for the Wolfpack was Matthew McKay who went 18/28 with 200 yards passing and threw 1 touchdown. He walked away with no picks. Zonovan Knight led the team on the ground for the game. He broke a long run for 21 yards and he ran for 2 touchdowns for the game. He ran for a total of 119 yards by way of 18 carries which means he ran for an average of 6.6 yards per carry. Cary Angeline led the team in receiving yardage by earning 47 yards on 4 receptions. He notched an average of 11.8 yards per catch for the game. The NC State Wolfpack ran the football 53 times and racked up 309 yards which had them averaging 5.8 yards per rushing attempt. In all, they ran 86 plays for a total of 540 yards. For the contest, the Wolfpack got 32 first downs and they had a total of 3 penalties for 29 yards which means they were extremely disciplined in this game. When discussing the defense, North Carolina State conceded 15 completions on 27 attempts for a total of 98 yards, and a completion percentage of 55.6%. Overall, they conceded 106 yards and earned 1 takeaway. Against the run, the Wolfpack conceded 8 yards on 19 attempts which means they allowed 0.4 yards per run allowed.

The Wolfpack come into this game with a record of 2-0 for the 2019 season. They are one of the most potent offenses in the country with an average of 37.5 points per contest, ranking them 44th in college football. As a team, they are averaging 250 yards on the ground per contest which is 4th in the conference. For total yardage, they currently sit at 2nd in the conference and 17th in college football with 1,045 yards. The Wolfpack have one of the top tier defenses in the country, allowing 3 points per game putting them 1st in the conference. When it comes to passing yards, the Wolfpack have allowed 545 yards. Opponents are completing 56.9% of the passes they throw against them and averaging 4.5 yards per try. In regard to yards rushing, NC State is giving up 24.5 yards per game ranking them 1st in the conference and 3rd in the nation. Opposing teams are running for an average of 1 yards per rush which has them at 1st in the conference and 3rd in the country overall. Overall, they have conceded 49 yards rushing through 2 games.

Related: Gambling 101 Series on How Odds are Calculated - Watch Tony George Explain

In their last contest, the West Virginia Mountaineers took on the Missouri Tigers and took the loss by a score of 38-7. Alec Sinkfield led the team on the ground for the game. He tore off a long run of 6 yards but he wasn't able to rush for a TD on the day. He scurried for 27 yards on 9 carries which meant he averaged 3.0 yards per carry. George Campbell was the receiving yardage leader by earning 59 yards on 2 receptions. He had an average of 29.5 yards per reception for the game. Running the show from under center for the Blue Raiders was Austin Kendall who went 15/25 with 137 yards through the air and added 1 touchdown. He threw 2 picks in the game. The West Virginia Mountaineers ended up running the ball 32 times and racked up 30 yards earning them an average of 0.9 yards per carry. For the game, they ran 59 plays for a total of 171 yards. On the day, the Mountaineers racked up a total of 13 first downs and they had 4 penalties for 40 yards which tells us their heads weren't always in the game. On the defensive side of the ball, West Virginia conceded 17 catches on 28 attempts for a total of 150 yards, and a completion percentage of 60.7%. Against the run, the Mountaineers conceded 232 yards on 50 tries which means they allowed 4.6 yards per run allowed. For the game, they gave up a total of 382 yards and earned 0 turnovers.

Related: Get college football tips & picks on all of today's games

The Mountaineers come into this game with a record of 1-1. In discussing the offensive production, the Mountaineers have one of the worst offenses in college football. West Virginia is having a year to forget in the ground game by averaging 32 rushing yards per contest, putting them 130th in college football. As a team, they have a total of 64 yards rushing through 2 contests, so they are going to want to make some changes to the ground game if they want to make teams respect them. The Mountaineers average 232.5 yards per contest overall putting them 129th in Division 1 and 10th in the Big 12 Conference. The Mountaineers are allowing 25.5 points per game ranking them 8th in the Big 12 Conference and 69th in the country. In discussing points given up, they have given up 51 total points. When it comes to yards rushing, they are allowing 202 yards per contest which puts them at 112th in the nation and 10th in the Big 12 Conference. For this year, they have given up a total of 404 yards rushing and 2 rushing TDs. Their pass defense is one of the top groups in the country. They are giving up 153 passing yards per contest. For yards through the air allowed per game, the Mountaineers are ranked 5th in the Big 12.

Who will win tonight's Wolfpack/Mountaineers college football game against the spread?

Josh's Pick: Take the Wolfpack -7

Get $60 worth of FREE premium member picks. No Obligation. No Salesman. No Credit Card. Fast Sign up with Instant Access Click Here

Read more articles by Josh Schonwald