US betting sites favor the Texas A&M Aggies by 7.5 points over the NC State Wolfpack in the 74th Gator Bowl. TAMU finished second in the SEC West division with an 8-4 record (5-3 in conference play). The Aggies also went 8-4 ATS in the regular season. They are coming off a 74-72 win over Louisiana State as three-point home chalk. This will be TAMU’s 10th straight bowl appearance, second Gator Bowl, and first bowl game under Jimbo Fisher.
NCSU finished third in the ACC Atlantic division with nine wins and three losses (5-3 in conference play). Their ATS record is 6-6 according to the best online sportsbooks. Their regular season came to a close with a 58-3 win over East Carolina as 25.5-point home faves. This will be the Wolfpack’s fifth straight bowl appearance and fourth TaxSlayer Gator Bowl.
Betting Texas A&M
Good news for the Aggies. Like Myles Garrett and Christian Kirk before them, Trayveon Williams and Jace Sternberger aren’t expected to miss TAMU’s bowl game. And that’s also good news for QB Kellen Mond. Sternberger happens to be Mond’s preferred target. The tight end has 10 TDs and 804 yards on 47 receptions. And Williams has 15 TDs on 1524 rushing yards. Mond has 23 TDs and eight picks on 2967 passing yards. Per US betting sites, the Aggies are 7-0 ATS in their seven non-conference contests.
Betting NC State
Unlike Mond, Ryan Finley will be without his most productive receiver. Kelvin Harmon has 1186 yards and seven TDs on 81 receptions. Finley will have to turn to Jakobi Meyers, who has 1028 yards and four TDs on 89 catches. Linebacker Germaine Pratt is also going to skip the TaxSlayer Gator Bowl. Both Harmon and Pratt will enter the 2019 NFL draft. “It is time for me to proceed to the next chapter in my football life,” Harmon said, as reported by ESPN.
Texas A&M Aggies vs. NC State Wolfpack – Gator Bowl Betting Preview
- Date: December 31
- Time: 7:30 p.m. ET
- Venue: TIAA Bank Field, Jacksonville, FL (Gator Bowl)
Odds from BetOnline.ag:
- NC State +7½ (-130) 56 (-110) +235
- Texas A&M -7½ (+110) 56 (-110) -275
Betting Trends
- Wolfpack are 5-2 ATS in their last 7 games after accumulating more than 280 yards passing in their previous game
- Wolfpack are 2-6 ATS in their last 8 games after allowing less than 170 yards passing in their previous game
- Wolfpack are 1-5 ATS in their last 6 games after allowing less than 275 total yards in their previous game
- Aggies are 5-1-1 ATS in their last 7 games after accumulating more than 200 yards rushing in their previous game
- Aggies are 5-1 ATS in their last 6 games after accumulating more than 280 yards passing in their previous game
- Aggies are 3-1-1 ATS in their last 5 games after allowing more than 40 points in their previous game
Our Game Prediction: TAMU is the second-best team defending the run, allowing just 92.0 yards on the ground per game. And NCSU ranks No. 13 against the run, allowing 109.1 rushing yards per game, which is not bad at all either. Thus, this game could easily turn into a dogfight. And that would give the Wolfpack the edge. NC State gains 327.7 passing yards per game (6th) while TAMU accrues 262.2 yards through the air per game. And Ryan Finley may be a slightly better QB than Kellen Mond. If that’s enough to make up your mind, you can always bet on the total. US betting sites have set it at 58 points, a number these offense are more than capable of reaching.
