The first two months of the 2025 college football season have seemingly been something out of a video game simulation, with top players and top teams hailing from some unexpected places. High on the list are Heisman Trophy hopeful Haynes King and No. 8 Georgia Tech, who will hope to move one step closer to some serious silverware with a road win Saturday vs. NC State (7:30 p.m. ET, ESPN2), who will be aiming to give its season some new life with an upset victory.
The Yellow Jackets (8-0, 5-0 ACC) have navigated some close contests this season, but last week’s 41-16 win over Syracuse was not one such game. The Orange have not been the same team since losing starting quarterback Steve Angeli and posed no real threat, even though they did score the first points courtesy of an early field goal.
King’s burgeoning Heisman resume received another boost with his performance against Syracuse, as he tallied 395 total yards (304 passing, 91 rushing) and accounted for all five of Georgia Tech’s touchdowns (three passing, two rushing).
King (+2200) currently sits behind six other quarterbacks in the latest Heisman odds at BetOnline, but his odds will shorten if he continues to shine.
The forecast is favorable for another outstanding outing against NC State (4-4, 1-3 ACC), who has dropped four of five since starting 3-0.
However, Carter-Finley Stadium in Raleigh has been the site of many an upset over the years, and you can’t completely write off the Wolfpack, especially at night when the natives will be especially riled up.
Will the Yellow Jackets survive a potentially tricky trip to move to 9-0? Read on for our Georgia Tech vs. NC State prediction and best bets and get the best betting odds from top online sportsbooks such as BetOnline.
Georgia Tech vs. NC State Betting Trends
- Georgia Tech is 6-2 against the spread this season, including 2-1 ATS on the road.
- The Yellow Jackets are 4-2 ATS as a favorite this season.
- Georgia Tech’s games have had an even split of four overs and four unders this season.
- NC State is 3-5 against the spread this season.
- The Wolfpack are 0-3 SU and ATS as an underdog this season.
- The over is 5-3 in NC State’s games this season.
Georgia Tech vs. NC State Prediction and Best Bets
Prediction: Georgia Tech to win
While I went for the home upset in Miami vs. SMU and Texas Tech vs. Kansas State, the opposite forecast is being made for this matchup.
The Wolf Pack certainly have the offense to compete if quarterback CJ Bailey can be at his best. In last week’s loss at Pitt, Bailey threw three touchdown passes and went without an interception after throwing three the previous time out at Notre Dame, but he was only 24 for 40 for only 225 yards, averaging just 5.6 yards per attempt. Entering the game, he averaged 8.6 yards per attempt.
The Yellow Jackets are in the middle of the pack in the ACC in yards allowed per attempt (7.0) and sacks (16) and ranks 16th in interceptions (two), but the real struggle for Georgia Tech vs. NC State could be on the ground against one of the best backs in the ACC.
The Jackets are 15th in the conference in rushing yards allowed per game (155.3) and 14th in yards allowed per attempt (4.2) and have given up 150+ rushing yards in five of their last six games.
So, there’s a good chance Hollywood Smothers (120 carries, 825 yards, 6.9 yards per carry, 6 TD) can find some room to run. Smothers will also be an aerial option for Bailey, as he also has 28 catches this season.
However, NC State’s defense is coming off poor performances against Notre Dame (36 points and 485 yards allowed, 342 through the air) and Pitt (53 points and 529 yards allowed, 423 through the air), and a unit that is last in the ACC in sacks is going to find it hard to get a hand on King. That will ultimately prove decisive in this matchup.
Georgia Tech vs. NC State Best Bets
1) Georgia Tech/NC State Over 58.5 (-108 at Lucky Rebel)
After putting up 41 points against Syracuse, Georgia Tech should have another high output vs. NC State, who has allowed 89 points in its last two games and has now allowed 31+ points four times already this season, which the program had not done since 2020.
At the same time, the Wolfpack should be able to put some points on the board as well. I see a 38-24 or 38-27 kind of game unfolding.
2) Haynes King (Georgia Tech) Over 75.5 Rushing Yards (-115 at Bovada)
In his seven games this season (he missed the win over Gardner-Webb on September 6), King has run for 156, 103, 15, 106, 60, 120, and 91 yards.
NC State isn’t bad against the run, but they struggle to put pressure on opposing quarterbacks, and that does not bode well for a matchup against a quarterback who has racked up a lot of rushing yards while being sacked only four times to date.
Also, the Wolfpack are 13th in the ACC in rushing touchdowns allowed (14), so taking King to record 2+ rushing touchdowns for the fifth time this season (+140 at Bovada) is also a wise move.
3) Hollywood Smothers (NC State) Over 79.5 Rushing Yards (-115 at Lucky Rebel)
Smothers is unlikely to be smothered against Georgia Tech, though his production may well depend on how many touches he gets.
In the first five games this season, he had 16+ carries in each game. But after getting an understandably light load against Campbell (four carries and two receptions, which he made good use of with 156 total yards and two touchdowns), he had just 12 carries against Notre Dame (for a season-low 46 yards) and eight carries against Pitt (for 86 yards, including a 65-yard scoring scamper, his longest run of the season).
Smothers has had a run of 40+ yards in five games, including runs of 51, 57, 59, and 65 yards, so he may well not need a ton of carries to get this one over the line. But if Georgia Tech takes some time to pull away vs. NC State, that may increase the likelihood of the speedy sophomore getting 80+ yards for the sixth time this season.
Final Word on Georgia Tech vs. NC State
I don’t discount the possibility that the Wolfpack could play some inspired football under the lights and come away with the win, but the Yellow Jackets have built up enough equity with their performances in close games that you have to feel confident about how they will handle what may be their toughest test until they take on Georgia at Mercedes-Benz Stadium to close out the regular season.
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