The Wake Forest Demon Deacons and Vanderbilt Commodores will square off in a Saturday afternoon college football matchup in Nashville. With that said, it’s a good time to check out our College football odds series, which includes a Wake Forest-Vanderbilt prediction and pick, laid out below.

Wake Forest is ranked 23rd in the nation, going 1-0 to begin their season with a 44-10 victory over VMI. Even more impressive, the team was victorious without star quarterback Sam Hartman, who was sidelined with a blood clot issue. Thankfully, the team will welcome Hartman back in this one.

Vanderbilt has gone 2-0 this season, defeating Hawaii and Elon in their first two games. Already, the team has matched their 2021 win total in Clark Lea's first year, breathing some hope into a morbid program. Lea is looking to restore some hope back into the program, something that has been lacking since James Franklin left.

Here are the Wake Forest-Vanderbilt CFB odds, courtesy of FanDuel. 

CFB Odds: Wake Forest-Vanderbilt Odds

Wake Forest Demon Deacons: -13.5 (-106)

Vanderbilt Commodores: +13.5 (-114)

Over: 65.5 (-106)

Under: 65.5 (-114)

Why The Demon Deacons Could Cover The Spread

There is no doubting that Sam Hartman is the straw that stirs the drink for this offense. Hartman has thrown 72 touchdowns in 36 career games, adding 727 rushing yards and 16 touchdowns on the ground. The fifth-year player has elevated the Demon Deacons' program, going 11-3 last season and appearing in the ACC Championship game. In the first game this season, quarterback Mitch Griffis tossed 288 yards and three touchdowns. Running back Christian Turner ran for 100 yards and two touchdowns, and the team totaled 212 yards on the ground. Taylor Morin totaled 74 receiving yards, hauling in one of Griffis' touchdown passes. Hartman brings a new element to the offense, with his ability to use his legs.

Wake Forest dominated VMI last week, surrendering just ten points. The team registered three sacks and nine tackles for a loss, adding six quarterback hits and a forced fumble. Rondell Bothroyd was the standout, with three tackles, one sack, forcing and recovering a fumble. Vanderbilt is a bit of an upgrade offensively compared to VMI, but Wake Forest can effectively bring the pressure.

Why The Commodores Could Cover The Spread

Vanderbilt has some optimism around the program for the first time in a while. Quarterback Mike Wright has thrown for 391 yards and six touchdowns in two games. Wright was a three-star prospect in the 2020 class, and played in 10 games in the 2021 season, throwing for 1,042 yards and eight touchdowns. On the ground, Wright leads the team with 247 rushing yards and four touchdowns. Running back Ray Davis has gained 182 yards on the ground, adding a touchdown. Jayden McGowan leads the team with 145 receiving yards, hauling in one touchdown pass. Will Sheppard has impressed, catching nine passes, four of them going for touchdowns.

Defensively, Vanderbilt has allowed 41 points in two games. The team has 12 tackles for a loss, including four sacks. Anfernee Orji leads the team with 16 tackles, while BJ Anderson and Max Worship are the other Commodores with double-digit tackles. Vanderbilt's secondary has broken up six passes this season and registered eight quarterback hits on their opponents. Vanderbilt has also forced three fumbles from their opponents.

Final Wake Forest-Vanderbilt Prediction & Pick

Wake Forest welcoming back Sam Hartman is probably too much for Vanderbilt to handle in this one.

Final Wake Forest-Vanderbilt Prediction & Pick: Wake Forest -13.5 (-106), over 65.5 (-106)