College football picks, Week 5: Louisville vs. NC State prediction, odds, spread, game preview, more

The Louisville Cardinals take on the NC State Wolfpack in an ACC matchup in Week 5. The game will kick off at 7:00 p.m. ET on Friday, September 29 from Carter-Finley Stadium in Raleigh, North Carolina and will air on ESPN.

Louisville (4-0, 2-0 ACC) demolished Boston College in Week 4, 56-28. With wins over Indiana and Georgia Tech on their resume, the Cardinals should be confident as they head into the more challenging portion of their schedule. In the win over BC, quarterback Jack Plummer passed for 388 yards and five touchdowns. Running back Jawhar Jordan added 134 yards and two touchdowns.

NC State (3-1, 1-0 ACC) scraped out a 24-21 win over Virginia to kick off ACC play. The final score was somewhat concerning, as NC State entered asa. 9.5-point favorite over a team that has yet to win a game this season. Wolfpack QB Brennan Armstrong was 15-for-30 for 180 yards, two touchdowns, and one interception.

Here’s everything you need to know and a pick for the game.

SP+ Rankings

Louisville: 29 overall, 23 offense, 38 defense
NC State: 55 overall, 70 offense, 45 defense

Injury update

Louisville

DB Jaden Minkins - Questionable (undisclosed)

NC State

S R Ashford - Questionable (undisclosed)
OL D McMahon - Questionable (knee)

ATS/Total

Against The Spread in 2023

Louisville: 2-2 ATS
NC State: 0-4 ATS

Total in 2023

Louisville: Over 2-1-1
NC State: Over 1-3

Current lines at DraftKings Sportsbook

Spread: Louisville -3
Total: 55
Moneyline: Louisville -155, NC State +130

Weather

The Pick

Louisville -3.5

Jack Plummer and Louisville have had one of the most interesting starts to this 2023 season. The Cardinals haven’t just been winning — they’ve been crushing their opponents. I don’t think NC State is ready to take on this Louisville team on either side of the ball. After the Wolfpack struggled on the road against a very bad Virginia team last week, I’m all in on Louisville to cover here.