It’s been a rocky ride for NC State.
The team returned strong with hopes of being the ACC title mix, but everything all but ended in late August with a blowout loss to Virginia. A historically bad play against a lousy Vanderbilt team here, and a 38-14 home loss to a red-hot Wake Forest there, and now the Wolfpack need this.
However, win, and there’s a chance to go on a big second-half run with a favorable schedule.
Stanford is trying to fight the good fight in a rebuild under new head coach Tavita Pritchard, but at 3-4 with only one home game left, it’s in big trouble if it loses.
NC State vs Stanford: Quick Hits
- Why does Stanford need this? Three straight road games follow this, but that includes a trip up the road to Cal.
- NC State only has one game – at Florida State – outside of North Carolina the rest of the way, hosting Cal, Duke, and Syracuse next.
- The two programs have only met once. NC State beat Stanford 59-28 in 2024.
How To Watch NC State vs Stanford
Date: Friday, October 23, 2026
Game Time: 10:30 PM ET
TV: ESPN
Location: Stanford Stadium, Palo Alto, CA
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Why NC State Will Win
When Stanford’s offense doesn’t work, it really doesn’t work.
The lack of a pass rush and few defensive stops are the real issues, but you can’t win if you don’t score, and Stanford can’t put the biscuit in the basket.
Not to get all basic here, but the Cardinal have scored seven points or fewer in the four losses, and 34 or more in the three wins. The ground game has been non-existent against everyone but Elon and Hawaii.
NC State is fantastic at keeping the chains moving. Stanford doesn’t get to the quarterback and will struggle to hit Wolfpack star CJ Bailey enough to get off the field.
Why Stanford Will Win
Okay, context time.
Yeah, Stanford’s offense was putrid in the four losses. One of those came against a nasty Duke defense Durham, and the other three losses were to Miami, Notre Dame, and a Wake Forest team whose only loss is to the Hurricanes.
This is one of those focus-test moments for the ACC team from the Eastern Time Zone. This will end around 2 am NC State time, and while these are college kids who can certainly stay awake, the rhythm will be thrown off.
NC State vs Stanford Prediction, Betting Lines
Don’t just blow this off as a layup win for NC State before getting back on the plane to go deal with bigger and better things.
The Wolfpack have had to deal with a whole ton of adversity this season, and they keep coming back, but it’s 0-2 on the road, and Stanford is 3-1 at home, with that one loss coming to Miami.
NC State doesn’t have the pass rush to overwhelm the Cardinal backfield, but it’ll be just okay enough to get out with a tough late-night win.
NC State 34, Stanford 23
Latest Consensus Line: NC State -6.5, o/u: 55.5
ATS Confidence (out of 5): 3
Must See Rating (out of 5): 3
Consensus line based on BetMGM, Caesars, DraftKings, and FanDuel. Game odds refresh periodically and are subject to change. If you or someone you know has a gambling problem and wants help, call 1-800-GAMBLER.