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The Wake Forest Demon Deacons take on the NC State Wolfpack. Check out our college football odds series for our Wake Forest NC State prediction and pick.
Wake Forest is kicking itself. The Demon Deacons were in a prime place for an Orange Bowl bid, given that Clemson is in College Football Playoff position. The ACC's highest-ranked non-Clemson team gets an Orange Bowl ticket if Clemson does reach the playoff. Wake had that inside track, but threw it away with a terrible performance against Louisville. The Demon Deacons committed six turnovers in the third quarter alone, torching their chances in a 48-14 embarrassment. The loss itself is bad; the severity of the loss will make it extremely likely, if not certain, that Wake Forest will not sniff the top 15 of the rankings again this season, at least not before the bowl games. On one hand, that loss was shocking, given how good and generally reliable Sam Hartman is as the Deacs' quarterback. On the other hand, Wake Forest usually has one game each season (more precisely, a non-Clemson game) in which everything spins sideways. The Deacs hoped to avoid such a game, but it happened against Louisville. Now the Demon Deacons need to win this game and win the rest of their games to win 10 games in this regular season. Falling short of that goal would be very disappointing.
North Carolina State has found its non-Devin Leary quarterback after Leary was lost for the season with a severe injury. M.J. Morris led a comeback from a 21-3 deficit against Virginia Tech last week. The 22-21 win after being 18 points down is a real shot in the arm for this team. More importantly, it affirms Morris as the new leader under center and gives State a real chance in this game against Wake Forest. Morris is not a seasoned quarterback, but he has some snaps under his belt. The Wolfpack hope Morris can exceed expectations against Wake because they will have a few comparatively more manageable games after this one. This is the hurdle N.C. State has to find a way to clear.
The Wolfpack have one of the better linebacker groups in the ACC. Their defense played well against Clemson earlier this season. This is the game in which the State defense needs to make a resounding statement and keep Wake Forest's offense under wraps. Wake just played horribly on offense against Louisville. State needs to make identifications on film which will help the Wolfpack get takeaways from the Demon Deacons.
Here are the Wake Forest-NC State NCAA Football Odds, courtesy of FanDuel.
College Football Odds: Wake Forest-NC State Odds
Wake Forest Demon Deacons: -3.5 (-104)
NC State Wolfpack: +3.5 (-118)
Over: 54.5 (-105)
Under: 54.5 (-115)
Why Wake Forest Could Cover the Spread
The Demon Deacons have Sam Hartman at quarterback, and North Carolina State has an unproven backup. Also, Wake Forest's offense is unlikely to serve up a clunker in consecutive weeks. One would think Wake will bounce back and not continue to struggle.
Why NC State Could Cover the Spread
The rise of M.J. Morris from what had previously been an uncertain quarterback situation gives the Wolfpack stability and a clear plan on offense. The Wolfpack's offensive limitations will not be as pronounced in this game. Their proven, tested defense can win the battle against the Wake Forest offensive line, bothering Sam Hartman and forcing the Deacs into turnovers.
Final Wake Forest-NC State Prediction & Pick
Wake Forest's offense should be able to play significantly better than last week. It's just not likely that Sam Hartman will play two bad games in a row. Wake wins.
Final Wake Forest-NC State Prediction & Pick: Wake Forest -3.5
