NC State vs Stanford matchup
Archived — this story has rotated out of today’s deck. It is kept here in full.
The gist
NC State (3-3, 1-2 ACC) plays at Stanford (3-4, 1-3) Friday at 10:30 p.m. EDT on ESPN.
Both teams sit near the bottom of the ACC, and NC State is chasing a first road win.
Background
NC State, coached by Dave Doeren, is 3-3 and 1-2 in ACC (Atlantic Coast Conference) play, while Stanford is 3-4 and 1-3. The Wolfpack are on the road for the first time since Week 3 and are trying to snap a six-game road losing streak; their injury problems grew during the bye week, with three fifths of the offensive line lost (two out for the season) and Duke Scott absent from the backfield. Stanford, a rebuilding program that hasn't reached the postseason since 2018, comes in ranked last in the ACC in both total offense and total defense. The game is the teams' second meeting; NC State won the only previous one 59-28 in 2024.
How it unfolded
- 2024NC State beat Stanford 59-28 at Carter-Finley Stadium in the teams' only previous meeting.
- Oct 10, 2026NC State lost 38-14 to Wake Forest; quarterback CJ Bailey passed for 241 yards with one touchdown and no interceptions.
- Oct 17, 2026Stanford beat Elon 34-7; Davis Warren passed for 279 yards and Ford ran for 179 yards and four touchdowns.
- Oct 21, 2026WagerTalk TV posted a betting preview video for the matchup.
- Oct 22, 2026247Sports published staff predictions for the game.
- Oct 23, 2026Kickoff at 10:30 p.m. EDT at Stanford Stadium on ESPN, with NC State opening as a 7.5-point favorite.
Who’s saying what
- Analysts
- Most 247Sports and Yahoo Sports pickers expect NC State to win, with predictions ranging from 35-10 to 41-28.
- Caution
- 247Sports' Chris Ragone predicts NC State 31, Stanford 28 and expects the game to be closer than the spread.
- Bears
- Action Network's pick is Stanford on the moneyline at +225, playing to +165.
- Expert
- WagerTalk TV's Sean Higgs calls these two of the worst defenses in college football, with a 55.5 total.
Still unverified
Betting lines vary by source and are subject to change: NC State is favored by 7.5 points per ESPN and Yahoo Sports, by 7.0 per a Reddit preview thread, and by 6.5 per WagerTalk, 247Sports, the Fayetteville Observer and Action Network; WagerTalk notes the odds change and its video was made ahead of time.