NC State vs. Virginia betting preview: Week 0 college football picks, odds, start time, prediction, best bets

We've seen conference games played in Week 0 before, and we'll see it again for the 2026 college football season with the NC State Wolfpack battling the Virginia Cavaliers in Charlottesville. The Wolfpack had eight wins in 2025, their eighth time reaching at least eight wins under head coach Dave Doeren. The Cavaliers had their best season under Tony Elliott, coming up one game short of an ACC conference championship and potential College Football Playoff berth. There's been a lot of turnover at both programs, but this opener sets the stage for what could be a pivotal season at both schools. Bet on college football with the latest DraftKings promo code to get $200 in bonus bets after spending $5+:

The Cavaliers are 5.5-point home favorites in the latest DraftKings Sportsbook odds, and the total sits at 53.5. Before you get into college football betting using sportsbook promos from the best betting apps, you should see what the SportsLine Projection Model is saying about NC State vs. Virginia. The model simulates every game 10,000 times. Bet on college football games with the latest DraftKings promo code to get $200 in bonus bets after spending $5+:

NC State vs. Virginia betting odds (via DraftKings)

NC State vs. Virginia betting preview

It looked like Virginia's loss to NC State in Week 2 of the 2025 season would be the end for the Cavaliers and the start of something special for the Wolfpack. The exact opposite happened, with Virginia winning seven in a row and nine of its last 10 games to make the ACC title game. Had the Cavaliers beaten Duke, they likely would've gotten into the playoff. The Wolfpack defeated Wake Forest to move to 3-0 but then lost four of their next five games.

Doeren has built a solid program in Raleigh, and whether or not the Wolfpack can play spoiler rests largely on returning quarterback CJ Bailey. He struggled with turnovers against top opponents but proved to be a dynamic dual-threat option overall. Jayden Scott will headline the backfield, but the pass catchers will all be transfers. NC State's defense will also be transformed with an entirely new linebacker group, but the secondary does bring back some experience with Ronnie Royal, Tristan Teasdell and Asaad Brown Jr.

Beau Pribula is the new quarterback at Virginia, and he's one of four transfers expected to take on big roles in 2026. Only wide receiver Kameron Courtney returns as a key contributor from a year ago, and he was largely an afterthought. The offensive line should be experienced, but can Pribula build on the numbers Chandler Morris put up? Will someone emerge from an unproven running back room to replicate J'Mari Taylor's campaign? Use the latest BetMGM bonus code CBSSPORTS and get up to $1,500 in bonus bets if your qualifying wager loses on 2026 college football games:

NC State vs. Virginia picks, prediction

NC State +5.5

If this game was being played in Raleigh, the Wolfpack would likely be getting some points back and I'd probably go with them to win the game outright. That could still happen, but Doeren's teams historically have pulled off bigger wins at home. Virginia was last year's darling but there's a lot of turnover on the offensive side of the ball and a new quarterback is taking charge.

Miami is getting most of the headlines in the ACC, but the Wolfpack could be a sneaky team to watch. They don't play the Hurricanes, Clemson or SMU. Notre Dame plays a handful of ACC teams, but NC State isn't one of them. An October home game against Louisville appears to be the biggest test outside of a late-season road trip to face a Florida State program with plenty of questions. This could be the start of Doeren's first season of 10 or more wins at NC State. I wouldn't be surprised if the Wolfpack win, but I'd lean toward taking the points just to be safe. Claim the latest FanDuel new user promo here: