A couple of schools that like to run the football, Head Coach Dave Clawson and the Wake Forest Demon Deacons (+17) are taking on their in-conference nemesis No. 22 North Carolina State Wolfpack (-17) at Carter-Finley Stadium. Kickoff for this game is scheduled for 7:30 p.m. ET and ESPN has the TV rights.
Betting Preview: Wake Forest Demon Deacons vs. North Carolina State Wolfpack
Wake Forest is a live dog and is currently getting 17 points in this Thursday ACC game. In order to take the home favorite, moneyline gamblers would currently need to spend $1,400 to win $100 back on the Pack (-1400). The Demon Deacons are getting +780 moneyline odds. This ACC tilt should provide several decent live betting possibilities, and Vegas has placed the over/under (O/U) at 66.5 points.
The line originally opened at -15 and the total was initially 66, so sharp bettors are favoring the Pack.
The Demon Deacons are 2-7 against the spread (ATS) and are down 1.6 units so far. The team’s posted an O/U mark of 6-3.
The Wolfpack are up 2.7 units this season. The team is 4-4 ATS and owns an O/U record of 4-3.
The Demon Deacons are 4-5 straight up (SU), including 1-4 SU against conference opponents. The Wolfpack are 6-2 SU overall and 3-2 SU in conference play.
The Deacs dropped one to Syracuse 41-24 in a blowout where Sam Hartman completed just 21 passes on 37 attempts for 275 yards, two scores and one interception. Hartman (51 rushing yards on 19 attempts) also led the ground attack and was complemented by Matt Colburn II (67 yards on 15 carries). Greg Dortch (nine receptions, 95 yards, one TD) and Alex Bachman (three catches, 47 yards) shared the receiving duties in the defeat.
North Carolina State is coming off of a 47-28 win over Florida State. Ryan Finley completed 21-of-27 passes for 240 yards and three touchdowns. Reggie Gallaspy (106 rushing yards on 21 attempts) and Ricky Person (42 yards on 17 carries, two TDs) handled the running game while Jakobi Meyers (nine receptions, 125 yards, one TD) and Kelvin Harmon (four catches, 37 yards, one TD) led the pass-catching corps in the win.
Wake Forest has run the ball on 58.9 percent of its offensive possessions this year while North Carolina State has an overall rush percentage of 50.2 percent. The Demon Deacons have rushed for 224.4 yards per game (including 219.2 per game versus Atlantic Coast opponents) and have 15 touchdowns on the ground this year. The Pack are totaling 134.1 rush yards per game (150.0 in conference) and have 14 total rushing TDs.
If the results so far this season can translate to this game, then it seems like the Pack may have the more disruptive lines up front, as their offensive line has given up just four sacks while the D-line has registered 25 sacks. The Demon Deacons offensive line has allowed 23 sacks and their defense has created only 17 sacks.
The Deacs offense has logged 229.0 yards/contest through the air overall (211.8 per game against conference opposition) and has 16 passing TDs so far. The Pack have put up 322.9 pass yards per game (294 against ACC competition) and also have 16 total pass scores.
Wake Forest seems to have an edge when it comes to limiting the pass. The team has allowed opponents to rush for an average of 221.0 yards and throw for 272.6 yards per game. The North Carolina State defense has given up 306.4 yards per game to opposing passers and 91.6 yards per game to opposing runners. Both teams allow similar adjusted net yards per pass attempt (ANY/A) to the opposition, as the Deacs have given up an ANY/A of 7.32 to opposing QBs, while the Pack are yielding an ANY/A of 7.06.
Offensively, Hartman has put up 1,761 passing yards on the year. He’s completed 145-of-267 attempts with 14 passing scores and eight interceptions. Hartman’s got a 5.35 adjusted net yards per pass attempt overall, although that number is 7.46 over the last two games.
We’re expecting the Demon Deacons to control the clock by pounding the defense with their running backs. Along with Greg Dortch (711 yards, six TDs), Matt Colburn II (427 rush yards, two rush TDs) and Cade Carney (518 rush yards, five rush TDs) have delivered in the Wake Forest offensive scheme.
On the other sideline, Ryan Finley has managed to complete 172-of-248 passes for 2,017 yards, 13 TDs and five INTs. Finley’s ANY/A stands at 8.10 for the year and 10.86 over his past two outings.
The Pack will also try to control the game’s pace by turning to their backfield. In addition to Kelvin Harmon (584 receiving yards, three receiving TDs), Reggie Gallaspy (489 rush yards, eight rush TDs) and Jakobi Meyers (three rush yards, 505 receiving yards, two TDs) have seen a lot of action recently.
These two teams faced off last year with the final result being a 30-24 win for Wake Forest.
Wake Forest Demon Deacons vs. North Carolina State Wolfpack Betting Pick
SU Winner: North Carolina State, ATS Winner: North Carolina State, O/U: Under
