This article is part of our College Football Picks series.
Duke's Mayo Bowl Betting Preview and Expert Picks
Somebody is getting mayonnaise dumped on them! Oh, also a football game is happening. The Terrapins and the Wolf Pack are squaring off in the Mayo Bowl, but one of these teams is a sterling example of the fraught nature of trying to bet on bowl games. And yet, we do it, because it's as American as dumping a Gatorade bucket full of mayonnaise on a head coach to try and go viral.
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Maryland vs. NC State Odds for the Duke's Mayo Bowl
Spread: NC State -1.5 (FanDuel Sportsbook)
Total: 45.5 (FanDuel Sportsbook)
Moneyline: NC State -115, Maryland -102
This is a lean line. Maybe this game will be a tossup. What it definitely is, though, is a quarterback mystery.
Maryland vs. NC State Betting Picks This Week
The Wolf Pack are 8-4 and ranked, while the Terps are 7-5 and not ranked. However, throughout the year I recall ESPN's Bill Connelly expressing incredulity about the polls, and the committee, in terms of NC State. Indeed, in the SP+ rankings, the Wolf Pack rank 48th. Maryland actually ranks 31st. Based on this alone, the Terrapins seem like a nice choice for the slight upset.
Then, there is the quarterback situation for the Pack. Devin Leary, their ostensible star, is gone. He's off to the next thing, which is apparently Kentucky. If you search for "NC State starting quarterback Mayo Bowl," you are going to see news tidbits about how the team is not naming a starter under center just yet. MJ Morris is expected to be get the nod based on the bowl depth chart, however. All I know is that without Leary, I think the Terrapins should be the favorite to win. I don't need that smidgen of points. I'll take the moneyline to get better odds, because I am taking the underdog to win outright.
NC State vs. Maryland Best Bet: Maryland -102 Moneyline at FanDuel Sportsbook
Terps fans in Maryland can get in on the action at FanDuel with the FanDuel Maryland Promo Code.
Duke's Mayo Bowl Prediction
I've already tipped my hand. I think the Terps are going to win. They have Taulia Tagovailoa, and the Wolf Pack don't have Leary. Now, NC State's strength was actually its defense this year, so I am expecting a low-scoring game. I'd lean toward the under on this one. All in all, I think the Wolf Pack will have some issues offensively, and the Terrapins win a close one. Technically an upset, but not based on the numbers I like to go off of.
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