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Two 6-2 ACC contenders square off on Saturday night when the Wake Forest Demon Deacons visit North Carolina State. The Demon Deacons look to shake off an embarrassing 48-21 beating at unranked Louisville last week, a dark blemish on a season that, to that point, had only featured a double-overtime loss to Clemson as a setback. Things don’t get easier with the Wolfpack on deck. N.C. State also lost to Clemson, falling by ten on the road, and they also fell at Syracuse on October 15, in the last Orange win before their season fell off the table. Which team will win on Saturday night? Don’t wager without looking at our sports betting thoughts.
NCAAF Preview: #21 Wake Forest Demon Deacons at #22 N.C. State Wolfpack
When: Saturday, November 5, 2022, 7:00 pm ET
Where: Carter-Finley Stadium, Raleigh, NC
TV: ACC Network
Radio: No National Broadcast
Live Stream: Sling TV
NCAAF Odds: Wake Forest -3 / O/U 54 // Wake Forest -160 / N.C. State +135
Why should you bet on the Demon Deacons?
Wake Forest not only faces a ranked team this week but actually has Top 25 opponents the next three weeks. They had been favored to win by three before getting run out of Louisville’s home stadium, giving them a second loss in ACC play. Against the spread, though, Wake Forest has been reliable, covering in four of their last five – with the only exception coming last week.
Quarterback Sam Hartman keeps putting up big numbers, but a concerning number is four – that’s the number of interceptions he has thrown over the last two games. He has hit 300 or more passing yards in four games in 2022, totaling 2,026 yards on the season. His 22:6 TD:INT ratio is impressive, but seeing those four in the last two games is cause for caution. The running game does provide balance, as Justice Ellison and Christian Turner have combined for 807 yards on the year. A.T. Perry has 552 receiving yards so far this year. The defense, though, needs to come back from a game in which they permitted 410 yards to Louisville.
Why should you put your money on the Wolfpack?
The Wolfpack started the season with a 4-0 record but has just gone 2-2 since. Last week, they edged Virginia Tech out, 22-21, in a game that they were favored by 13 to win. They are bowl eligible, but they have not helped sports bettors much this season, covering just twice in their first eight games. Quarterback Dennis Leary has not returned since going down to injury against Florida State and will not be back this year. M.J. Morris has taken over ably at quarterback, throwing for 265 yards and three touchdowns in the win over the Hokies.
The running game has not been solid for the Wolfpack this year. Jordan Houston leads the team, but he only has 335 yards on the season. When the team puts up points, it does so through the air, as Thayer Thomas leads the team with 437 yards. N.C. State has only permitted more than 24 points one time this season, and that was against Clemson. The defense ranks 24th against the run and 29th against the pass this season.
Final Score and Prediction
N.C. State has a perfect 5-0 record at home this season, and they take on a Wake Forest team that suffered a major setback last week. The Wolfpack secondary has been terrific this season, holding opponents to just 195 yards through the air per game. Even with Morris leading the offense, the Wolfpack have the advantages of playing at home and of their stifling defense. I predict a final score of N.C. State 27, Wake Forest 23.
