It's an ACC conference affair when NC State welcomes Wake Forest to town. It's a matchup of two 6-2 teams, one that is coming off a thrashing at the hands of Louisville and the other that is coming off an incredible comeback win against Virginia Tech.
NC State's outlook changed when All-ACC QB candidate Devin Leary went down for the season. The Wolfpack instantly went from conference title contenders to a team hoping to get to eight or so wins. The Demon Deacons have avoided significant injury but are in a similar situation of disappointment compared to their preseason aspirations.
Who wins this one? Find out in our college football picks and predictions for NC State vs. Wake Forest.
Wake Forest vs NC State best odds
Wake Forest vs NC State picks and predictions
NC State doesn't have the horses to score enough here but not only that, Wake Forest hasn't lost back-to-back games since September 2020. This is a perfect buy-low spot for the Demon Deacons, and I expect them to win this one by double-digits.
The Wolfpack will roll out its third different quarterback of the season in MJ Morris this weekend. In its last game, a win against Virginia Tech, NC State scored its first touchdown since star QB Devin Leary went down.
Morris came into the game and sparked a pretty impressive double-digit comeback win, throwing over 250 yards along with three touchdowns. It was memorable and likely what led to this spread being closer than it otherwise would have been. However, I'm not entirely convinced he can replicate this success.
The element of surprise will be gone, and Wake Forest will have some film on Morris to prepare for. There's a reason he was a third-string quarterback to start the season. He's facing the task of trying to go point for point with one of the better offenses in the ACC, and I'm not sure I can trust him to do that.
The other side of this is that I expect Wake Forest to atone for one of its worst offensive performances in some time that it had last week against Louisville. Wake scored 21 points (which included a garbage-time touchdown) and had eight total turnovers. I trust that head coach Dave Clawson will have his team, particularly his offense, ready to respond.
Even after last week's disappointment, Wake still ranks second in the ACC in PPG, third in total offense, and second in passing offense. Louisville slowed it down last week with an incredible rate of pressure that included a .23 havoc rate from its front seven and eight sacks.
This is something I don't expect NC State to be able to replicate. The numbers rate the Wolfpack as an excellent defense but not one that has overall positional dominance at one spot. Those are the defenses that Wake Forest has feasted on.
We're in a tremendous situational spot here. NC State is coming off an emotional comeback win with a third-string QB who caught lightning in a bottle. Wake Forest is a veteran team coming off one of its most embarrassing losses in recent memory. I trust this Demon Deacons' offense more than any other aspect of this game. I'll back them to score enough to get the cover.
My best bet: Wake Forest -4.5 (-106 at FanDuel)
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Wake Forest vs NC State spread analysis
Wake Forest hasn't lost back-to-back games in over two years. I'm backing it here to win and cover because it’s the better team from top to bottom.
The deciding factor in this one is the gap in quarterback play. Sam Hartman is a four-year veteran who has been considered for the ACC Player of the Year a few times. Opposing him is a freshman making his first career start.
This spread has bounced back and forth a few times this week. Wake Forest opened up as 3-point favorites, and now the spread has settled around 4.5. It seems like sharp bettors and the public have looked to back the Demon Deacons.
I'm backing Wake Forest here. The NC State offense cannot score enough points that will be needed to be in this game.
Wake Forest vs NC State Over/Under analysis
I have no interest in touching the total here. It's pretty correctly pegged.
In a vacuum, NC State will likely be an Under team for me for the rest of the season. The quarterback play has tons of issues, and it will try to limit its plays, having its defense win games.
The problem in this one is that the Wake Forest offense is prolific, and I don't envision it being often stopped here. It's reasonable that Wake could do the heavy lifting on the total, and it could go Over, but I'm just not ready to back it to do that.
Wake Forest vs NC State betting trend to know
The favorite is 6-2 ATS in the last eight meetings between these two teams. Find more NCAA betting trends for Wake Forest vs. NC State.
Wake Forest vs NC State game info
| Location: | Carter-Finley Stadium, Raleigh, NC |
| Date: | Saturday, November 5, 2022 |
| Kickoff: | 8:00 p.m. ET |
| TV: | ACC Network |
Wake Forest vs NC State latest injuries
Wake Forest vs NC State weather
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