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The Wake Forest Demon Deacons are set to face the Clemson Tigers this weekend. With that said, it’s a good time to check out our college football odds series, which includes our Wake Forest-Clemson prediction and pick we have laid out below.
Courtesy of FanDuel, here are the Wake Forest-Clemson odds for this Saturday matchup:
College Football odds: Wake Forest-Clemson Odds
Wake Forest: +4.5 (-110)
Clemson: -4.5 (-110)
Over: 57 (-110)
Under: 57 (-110)
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Why Wake Forest Could Cover the Spread
The Wake Forest Demon Deacons bounced back last week after losing to UNC by beating NC State 45-42 at home. Quarterback Sam Hartman had 290 passing yards and three touchdowns as running back Justice Ellison had 56 rushing yards and two touchdowns. The defense forced two interceptions and one fumble in the victory. The Demon Deacons are now 9-1 with a 6-0 conference record. The offense has been one of the best in the nation, ranking 2nd in points per game (45.1) and 6th in yards per game (508). They rank 5th in 3rd down conversion percentage (51.75%), which has helped Wake extend drives and score touchdowns.
Defensively, Wake Forest is allowing 30.6 points on 452.1 yards per game to opponents. Many of their games have been high-scoring this year, yet they face a sub-par Clemson offense that averages 21.7 points per game. The Demon Deacons rank 5th in takeaways per game (2.2). Clemson had two turnovers last week against UConn, so there is optimism that Wake Forest will have some takeaways on Saturday. Clemson is 1-6 against the spread in their previous seven home games.
Why Clemson Could Cover the Spread
The Clemson Tigers are not as good as in past years, yet they still have a respectable 7-3 record this season. They are undefeated at home with a 5-0 record as well. They are currently riding a three-game winning streak after crushing UConn 44-7 last game. The Tigers totaled 476 yards of offense while holding the Huskies to 99 total yards on six first downs. They forced UConn to -17 rushing yards as well. Clemson's defense is the bright spot of this year's team. They rank 7th in FBS in opponent points per game (16.7) and 6th in opponent yards per play (4.3).
Offensively, DJ Uiagalelei is completing 54.9 percent of his passes for 1,752 yards and eight touchdowns. Wide receivers Joseph Ngata and Justyn Ross have combined for 952 receiving yards and four touchdowns. The Tigers' ground game averages 137.2 yards per contest, and Will Shipley leads with 438 rush yards and seven touchdowns. Wake Forest is 4-9-1 against the spread in their last 14 road games and 2-6 against the spread in their previous eight games on grass.
Final Wake Forest-Clemson Prediction & Pick
Wake Forest has a very explosive offense, so it will be interesting to see how they do against a stout Clemson Tiger defense. Clemson's offense has not been as explosive as years past; however, they are averaging 35 points over their three-game win streak. The Tiger defense has allowed 20 or fewer points in seven of their ten games as well. Memorial Stadium is not easy to play, yet the Demon Deacons are 5-2 against the spread in their last seven games against Clemson. Expect this game to be close through three quarters, with Wake having a chance to win late in the 4th quarter. The line will most likely drop before Saturday, so I would grab the points now with Wake Forest +4.5.
Final Wake Forest-Clemson Prediction & Pick: Wake Forest +4.5 (-110)
