ACC Report – Week 2

VegasInsider Staff Sports Betting Expert

8 minute read

Duke at Northwestern (ESPNU, 12:00 p.m. ET)
These two institutions are starting to build a history together on the gridiron. This is the fourth consecutive season these teams have met each, with Duke winning last season's installment by a 41-17 count in Durham. These teams met in Evanston in 2016 and it was the Wildcats coming out on top 24-13 to cover a four-point number. Northwestern covered the first two meetings, limiting Duke to 11.5 points per game (PPG). The Wildcats have had difficulty scoring against the Blue Devils, though, posting just 20.0 PPG in their three meetings. The 'under' is 2-1 in the three meetings since 2015, with Northwestern holding a 2-1 SU/ATS edge. The Blue Devils are an impressive 21-6-1 ATS over their past 28 non-conference tilts, including last week's win over Army. The Wildcats are 3-7 ATS in their past 10 outside of the Big Ten.

Georgia Tech at South Florida (ABC -or- ESPN2, 12:00 p.m. ET)
The Blue Jackets and Bulls will hook up at the Ray Jay, and it should be a hot one. Both of these teams rolled over FCS foes last weekend, with the Ramblin' Wreck spanking Alcorn State 41-0, and the Bulls taking care of Elon 34-14. The Bulls offense was quite prolific with 515 yards in their win, but they will obviously see a step up in competition. Ga. Tech has rushed for at least 400 yards five times over their past 12 games, but it might be tough sledding against an underrated USF D. Georgia Tech ia 7-2-1 ATS in their past 10 against teams with a winning record, 6-2 ATS in their past eight outside of the conference and 6-1-1 ATS in their past eight following a straight-up win. The Bulls are no slouch against winning teams, either, going 6-1 ATS in their past seven. However, they're also 2-5 ATS in their past seven outside of the AAC and 2-5 ATS in their past seven games overall, too.

Georgia State at North Carolina State (ACC Network, 12:30 p.m. ET)
The Wolfpack opened up with a narrow 24-13 victory over James Madison of the FCS, which surprised many casual fans. But the Dukes are no joke, ranking No. 2 in the FCS. In fact, James Madison and their suffocating defense might have been a more stern test than the Panthers of Georgia State, despite their FBS status. Vegas seems to agree, as N.C. State was favored by just 15 last week and they're favored by 24 against GSU. The Panthers have rallied together on the road, going 22-8 ATS in their past 30 outside of Atlanta, and they're 5-2 ATS in the past seven non-confernce tilts. N.C. State is just 1-5 ATS in their past six stepping outside of the ACC, and only 2-7 ATS in the past nine home games and 1-5 ATS in the past six games played in the month of September.

North Carolina at East Carolina (ESPNU, 3:30 p.m.)
Someone is going to notch their first win of the season, and someone will leave the field with a disappointing 0-2 mark. The Tar Heels and Pirates meet at Dowdy Ficklen on Saturday looking to right the ship. UNC opened at California last weekend, losing 24-17 to earn a backdoor push. Their offense struggled all day, but they actually did come within an eyelash of making things interesting. In the final minute, they appeared to recover an onside kick. Instant replay determined there was a penalty during the kick, negating the recovery and forcing a rekick. The Golden Bears pounced on it the second time, and the Heels came up short. The Pirates were dumped at home by North Carolina A&T, their second straight season with a loss to an FCS foe. Head coach Scottie Montgomery definitely needs a signature win badly to avoid the hot seat from getting any hotter. These two sides last met on Sept. 20, 2014, and the Pirates hung a 70-burger on the Heels in their 70-41 victory as the 'over' obviously cashed. It was halcyon times for the East Carolina offense under Ruffin McNeil. It's a new regime, but it's likely something the UNC coaching staff is using for motivation.

Clemson at Texas A&M (ESPN, 7:00 p.m.)
The ACC slate isn't terribly attractive this week, but the Clemson Tigers have an attractive matchup as they travel to College Station for an ACC-SEC showdown. The Tigers opened with a ho-hum win over FCS Furman last week, but it's all hands on deck this week against the Aggies. A&M pasted FCS Northwestern State by a 59-7 count, covering 46 1/2 points along the way, but this week will obviously be much more challenging. The Aggies have won 29 straight non-conference tilts, but the task to push it to 30 will be rather daunting since they're double-digit underdogs at home. Clemson is 8-2 ATS in their past 10 non-conference battles and 7-3-1 ATS in their past 11 against winning sides. They're also 4-1 ATS in the past five against the SEC and 6-2 ATS in the past eight in September, although they did fail to cover a big number against the Paladins a week ago. The Aggies are 5-2-1 ATS in their past eight in front of the 12th man, but just 1-5 ATS in their past six tries against ACC foes.

Virginia at Indiana (Big Ten Network, 7:30 p.m.)
An underrated game on the slate this week might be UVA and IU. The Hoos exacted a little revenge on FCS Richmond, squishing the Spiders 42-13 to easily cover a 14 1/2-point number. While a trip to Florida International isn't viewed as a tough battle, facing the South Florida heat and humidity while opening on the road is impressive. The Hoosiers won it 38-28, but a score with 6:04 to go by FIU gave the Golden Panthers the cover. IU did roll up 465 total yards of offense, including 213 yards on the ground. Virginia will be looking to return the favor after losing on their home field to the Hoosiers last season, 34-17. The Cavs are 5-2 ATS in their past seven against winning sides, and 13-6-1 ATS in their past 20 on the road against teams with a winning home mark. The Hoosiers have managed just a 2-5-1 ATS in their past eight games at 'The Rock', while going 1-8-1 ATS over the past 10 overall.

Penn State at Pittsburgh (ABC, 8:00 p.m.)
The Nittany Lions and Panthers claw at each other in the Steel City in one of the better rivalries in college football. Penn State nearly entered this game 0-1 with an embarrassing loss, holding off giant-killer Appalachian State in overtime last weekend in Happy Valley. Everyone left the stadium relieved, but a little surprised and stressed out. The Panthers humped up on FCS Albany by a 33-7 score, narrowly failing to cover on a 26 1/2-point number. The defense was good, but the offense needs to be better to hang with Penn State. The Lions are 10-2-2 ATS in the past 14 against teams with a winning record, 4-1-1 ATS in their past six outside of the conference (although that loss was last week) and 3-1-1 ATS in the past five against ACC clubs. They're also 7-2 ATS in the past nine on the road. Pitt is 4-0 ATS in the past four against winning teams, but a dismal 8-20 ATS in the past 28 at home and 1-5-1 ATS in the past seven against the Big Ten. In this series, however, the underdog is 5-0-1 ATS in the past six, with Penn State just 1-4-1 ATS in the past six meetings.

Other Games
Towson at Wake Forest (ACC, 12:00 p.m.)
Holy Cross at Boston College (ACC, 1:00 p.m.)
William & Mary at Virginia Tech (ACC, 2:00 p.m.)
Wagner at Syracuse (ACC, 3:30 p.m.)
Savannah State at Miami-Florida (ACC, 6:00 p.m.)
Indiana State at Louisville (ACC, 7:00 p.m.)
Samford at Florida State (ACC, 7:20 p.m.)

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