NCAA Football
2025-12-19 - Memphis Tigers at NC State Wolfpack
A Sports Betting Pick by FirstDown
United States : College Football Gasparilla Bowl
Friday 19th December 2025 - Scheduled 2:30pm
7:30pm (British Time)
Preview
On a weekend in which the First Round of the College Football Playoff is going to be played, you do have to try and factor in motivation in some of the other Bowl Games organised.
This one between the NC State Wolfpack (7-5) and Memphis Tigers (8-4) in Tampa Bay is a case in point.
One of the key factors in this Bowl Game is that the Memphis Tigers have lost Head Coach Ryan Silverfield to the Arkansas Razorbacks and that creates uncertainty in the era of the transfer portal. Only a mid-season collapse prevented the Tigers in entering this Bowl Game with an opportunity to finish with double digit wins for a third season in a row, while there are going to be some issues behind the scenes that will need to be ironed out, serving as a distraction.
The NC State Wolfpack ended the season with three wins in four games, including upsetting the Georgia Tech Yellow Jackets and preventing them from pushing towards the Playoff. It also meant a return to winning seasons after the disappointment of 2024 and CJ Bailey is going to play at Quarter Back, even as he thinks about his next step in his career and whether he wants to play elsewhere.
There should not be too many surprises when the Tigers have the ball- they are going to want to pummel NC State on the ground and make sure there is plenty of balance in the play-calling. Brendon Lewis is set to play for Memphis at Quarter Back and he has proven to be a dual-threat player out of that position, which should also be key in helping the Tigers establish a balanced attack.
As long as the off field distractions have not been bothering the Tigers, they should have success moving the ball and they do have a Defensive Line that will feel they can at least clamp down on the run with some effectiveness on the other side of the ball.
Take nothing away from the NC State Wolfpack, but the Offensive Line will not have faced too many as solid up front as the Memphis Defensive Line and it will be important to try and keep CJ Bailey behind the chains.
CJ Bailey will know there are holes in the Secondary to be exploited and he has made it clear that winning a Bowl Game is highly important to him personally, as well as the whole of NC State. That should see Bailey produce plenty of solid numbers and the Wolfpack are rightly favoured to win this game with the clearer thought process that would have been in the build up to the Bowl.
However, you do have to like the way Memphis can match up with the Wolfpack nad having a bit of time to just clear off some knocks that have been holding players back. They look capable of finding that Offensive balance, which can be so important, and the Tigers are hugely experienced at playing in Bowl Games, even if this one is on the front side of Christmas Day.
The Tigers can lose and cover and that is the key in this one with the points looking appealing enough to get behind the underdog ahead of a change in Head Coaching era.
Prediction
Take the points with the underdog in this Bowl Game.
The Pick :
NC State Wolfpack 30-27 Memphis Tigers
