The Gasparilla Bowl isn’t a bad bowl for Memphis to be in. But at one point this year, the Tigers thought they might be in the College Football Playoff.
Memphis (8-4) started the season 6-0 overall. The Tigers beat Chattanooga, Georgia State, Troy, FAU, and Tulsa all by 20 points or more. They also defeated SEC Arkansas during that stretch.
But Memphis lost four of its last six games, including all three of its last contests against Tulane, East Carolina, and Navy – some of the best teams in the American Conference.
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Memphis still has a chance to beat another Power Four team in a bowl game. The Tigers will face NC State (7-5) in the Gasparilla Bowl today. But they’ll do so without head coach Ryan Silverfield, who has been named the next head coach at Arkansas.
NC State finished tied for seventh in the ACC in 2025. The Wolfpack started the year 3-0, including a win over East Carolina, before losing four of their next five games. They did, however, win three of their last four against Georgia Tech, Florida State, and North Carolina.
Memphis vs. NC State Betting Odds
NC State is a -4.5 college football betting odds favorite against Memphis, with the Over/Under being 57.5 as of this writing. The moneyline for Memphis is +155, while it’s -190 for NC State.
Memphis vs. NC State On TV
The matchup between Memphis and NC State will be televised on ESPN.
The game will kick off at 2:30 p.m. ET on Friday, Dec. 19. The contest is taking place at Raymond James Stadium in Tampa, Florida.
Memphis vs. NC State Prediction
I predict Memphis will win and therefore cover the 4.5-point spread. I also project the game will go Under 57.5 total points.
It’s always a concern, but it doesn’t appear (as of this writing) that Memphis or NC State will be heavily impacted by opt-outs. And if that’s the case, I think Memphis will be the superior team.
Memphis is better than NC State in scoring offense, scoring defense, total offense, and total defense. The Tigers are in the top 50 in the country in scoring offense (34.6 points per game), scoring defense (22.5 PPG allowed), and total offense (420.7 yards per game).
NC State’s defense, meanwhile, was in the bottom 20 in the country with 421 YPG allowed.
I know Ryan Silverfield is now at Arkansas, but I think Memphis still manages to close this season – which started out so promising and then became disappointing – with a bowl win. That will help the program maintain momentum as it goes into Charles Huff’s first season as Memphis’ head coach in 2026.
