Today's top games to watch, best bets, odds: Pivotal ACC football showdown, NBA and more

Florida State and NC State both started their respective football seasons with lofty expectations. Now, they are fighting just to receive a bowl bid, but one of them will be guaranteed this modest milestone when the clubs meet Friday night. Kickoff is set for 8 p.m. ET from Carter-Finley Stadium in the nationally televised contest.

The Seminoles (5-5) dominated Week 1 headlines following their 31-17 upset of Alabama as two-touchdown underdogs. The victory soothed memories of their miserable two-win campaign a year ago and sparked hopes of a potential run to the ACC title and a playoff berth. However, that opening-week victory remains the highlight of their season. A double-overtime loss to Virginia launched a four-game skid that rock-bottomed into a 20-13 loss to downtrodden Stanford as a nearly three-touchdown favorite. The Seminoles have managed to win two of their past three but still sit behind the Cardinal in the ACC standings.

Conversely, the Wolfpack (5-5) emerged as an early-season ACC dark horse behind victories over East Carolina, Virginia and Wake Forest. Those wins aged well, considering those three clubs now have a combined record of 23-8. But NC State's season hasn't progressed the same way as its fallen opponents. The Wolfpack have lost three of their past four games by an average of nearly 29 points per contents and are coming off a 41-7 drubbing at the hands of Miami.

Even so, their lone victory in that span came in a 48-36 upset of previously undefeated Georgia Tech in which they racked up 583 yards of total offense. The performance served as a reminder of this team's impressive ceiling, though its floor is equal parts confounding.

The Seminoles are 6.5-point favorites and the over/under for total points scored is 59.5 in the latest college football odds for Florida State vs. NC State. 

In addition to the CFB contest, we'll preview NBA and NHL matchups. The following is a snapshot of what to watch for Friday, Nov. 21. All times Eastern. 

CFB best bets today, where to watch

Florida State at NC State

Time: 8 p.m. | Location: Raleigh, NC | TV: ESPN | Stream: Fubo (Try for free)

SportsLine picks -- Model: Under 59.5 points 

The SportsLine Projection model offers a strong play on the Under in this matchup, a position that could be considered contrarian given the profiles of these clubs. The Wolfpack and Seminoles average more than 66 points per game combined and are averaging 45 points per game across their last four combined victories. Even so, the model's 10,000-game simulation is projecting an average final score of 30-25 in favor of Florida State. This data results in a slight lean toward the home underdog with the points but a strong play on the Under 59.5 points. The model sees the Under hitting 61% of the time, a stark contrast to the implied sportsbook odds of 52%. 

More CFB best bets

• CFB expert Bruce Marshall's top Week 13 CFB plays

NHL best bets today, where to watch

Hurricanes at Jets 

Time: 8 p.m. | Location: Winnipeg | TV: ESPN+ | Stream: Fubo (Try for free)

SportsLine picks -- Model: Jets +127 

Following an offensive funk in which they scored just two goals combined in three games, all losses, the Jets have bounced back with a recent offensive surge. They have scored 17 goals across their last four contests, and the SportsLine Projection Model sees them keeping up the production Friday night. The Hurricanes are 7-3-1 away from their home ice but are coming off a 4-3 loss to Minnesota in the second of a four-game road swing. The model sees the Jets winning outright 63% of the time, suggesting it believes the wrong team is favored. The lucrative plus-money payout for the home underdog has prompted a rare A-rated model selection on Winnipeg. 

NBA best bets today, where to watch

Nuggets at Rockets 

Time: 9:30 p.m. | Location: Houston | TV: Prime Video | Stream: Fubo (Try for free)

SportsLine picks -- Model: Over 234.5 points 

The Rockets are slight favorites to win their sixth consecutive game in this showdown of Western Conference stalwarts that are both off to a sizzling start. The Nuggets have won eight of their past nine and have scored at least 122 in each of their past five outings. Both clubs are in the top six in the NBA in scoring defense, but the model sees their offensive prowess prevailing in this matchup. The model's 10,000-game simulation is projecting an average of 241 points, sending this contest Over the total about 58% of the time. Stephen Oh, the man behind the SportsLine ProjectionModel, is targeting Aaron Gordon's assists prop line of 1.5, seeing value on this line.