California Golden Bears vs NC State Wolfpack Matchup

Check out our free NC State Wolfpack vs California Golden Bears pick and preview for this CFB week 8 game in Berkeley. See who we like to win and cover the spread in this week 8 CFB matchup.

At 3:30 ET, the California Golden Bears will host the NC State Wolfpack at California Memorial Stadium in Berkeley. The game is set for Saturday, October 19th, and will be broadcast on ACCN. The over/under line is currently 46.5 points, with the Bears favored by -10. The Wolfpack come in with a 3-4 record, while the Bears are 3-3 for the season.

Wolfpack vs. Golden Bears Matchup At A Glance

Sport: CFB
Teams: NC State Wolfpack at California Golden Bears
Where: Berkeley at California Memorial Stadium
Date: Saturday, October 19th
Betting Odds CAH -10, NCST +289 | CAH -376 O/U 46.5

Wolfpack Preview:

NC State enters Week 8 against California with a 3-4 record, ranking 85th in our power rankings. They have just a 22.8% chance of becoming bowl-eligible. On the road, they are 0-1, while their home record stands at 2-3.

The Wolfpack are 0-6 against the spread this season, with an average scoring margin of -6 points per game. They’ve been favored in three games but have failed to cover in any of them, going 0-3 ATS as the favorite.

NC State’s over/under record is 4-2, with their games averaging 58.6 points. The average over/under line this season is 50.3 points, and this week’s line is set at 46.5 points.

Wolfpack Offense Breakdown

NC State’s offense ranks 122nd in our offensive power rankings heading into week 8, averaging 26.3 points per game, which places them 58th nationally. Quarterback CJ Bailey has thrown for 1,069 yards, completing 66.4% of his passes, with six touchdowns and four interceptions, giving him a passer rating of 93.

NC State is 21st in passing attempts per game and 16th in completions, averaging 234.3 passing yards per game. On the ground, they average 119.1 rushing yards per game. Kendrick Raphael leads the rushing attack with 281 yards and three touchdowns, averaging 5 yards per carry. Kevin Concepcion is the top receiver with 311 yards and four touchdowns on 39 catches.

Wolfpack Team Defense

NC State's defense has struggled this season, allowing an average of 32.3 points per game. In their recent 24-17 loss to Syracuse, they gave up 24 points and 425 total yards, including 346 passing yards.

Opponents have averaged 235.1 passing yards per game against NC State, completing 59.7% of their passes. The Wolfpack have faced the 26th fewest rushing attempts nationally, allowing 151.3 rushing yards per game.

Golden Bears Preview:

NC State’s over/under record is 4-2, with their games averaging 58.6 points. The average over/under line this season is 50.3 points, and this week’s line is set at 46.5 points.

Golden Bears Offense Breakdown

Heading into week 8, California’s offense is averaging 24.2 points per game, placing them 66th nationally. They are ranked 65th in our offensive power rankings. Their third-down conversion rate is 36.4%, and they are 106th in rushing, with 120.7 yards per game on the ground.

Quarterback Fernando Mendoza has thrown for 1,449 yards, completing 66.5% of his passes. He has eight touchdowns and three interceptions, with a passer rating of 98. Leading receiver Nyziah Hunter has 200 yards and four touchdowns. Jaivian Thomas leads the rushing attack with 359 yards.

Golden Bears Team Defense

California’s defense has been a bright spot this season, ranking 19th nationally by allowing just 17.8 points per game. In their recent matchup against Pittsburgh, they gave up 17 points, while forcing two interceptions and holding Pitt to 278 total yards, including 133 passing yards.

Opponents have averaged 121.8 rushing yards per game on 30.8 attempts against Cal, while quarterbacks have completed 54% of their passes, with a passer rating of just 55.6, the 7th-lowest in the country.

Wolfpack vs Golden Bears Betting Odds, Trends & Analysis

Through their last three road games, NC State has an ATS record of just 1-2. However, their overall record was 1-2 while averaging 29 points per game.
When looking at their past five home matchups, California has an ATS record of 3-2 while averaging 18 per game. The team went 2-3 overall in these games.
As the betting underdog, the NC State Wolfpack have an ATS mark of just 5-5 in their last ten games. NC State posted a straight up mark of 4-6 in these matchups.
The last ten games that California was favored, they have an ATS mark of 6-4 while going 9-1 straight up.