North Carolina State +12.5 over Florida State
Twenty-one days after opening their season with a neutral site loss to top-ranked Alabama, the Florida State Seminoles finally return to action Saturday in the friendly confines of Doak Campbell Stadium.
Like many of their Sunshine State counterparts, Florida State’s plans were unexpectedly put on hold earlier this month by the enormous effects of Hurricane Irma. The Seminoles’ second game against Louisiana-Monroe was canceled, while last week’s contest against Miami (Fla.) was pushed back to Oct. 7.
The upstart NC State Wolf Pack are double digit dogs this week
On the field, Florida State will have a different look offensively as true freshman James Blackman will make his first career start against a NC State squad boasting one of the best fronts in all of college football. Blackman, who will certainly see lots of blitzes and multiple looks, takes over for sophomore Deondre Francois who suffered a knee injury in the Alabama loss.
Couple the layoff with a true freshman stepping in against a veteran defense and the double digit points are too attractive to pass up. Also, NC State has covered eight of its past 12 games as an underdog against ranked opposition.
Take the Wolfpack and 12 1/2 points.
Paul Stone has over two decades of experience as a bettor and handicapper. He is a winner of multiple Las Vegas handicapping contests and his work has appeared in various media outlets including the Las Vegas-Review Journal and ESPN Insider. Follow Paul on Twitter@paulstonesports or e-mail him at Paulstonesports@gmail.com.
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