Between grueling matchups with Clemson and Notre Dame, the Wake Forest Demon Deacons (0-1 SU, 1-0 ATS) find themselves with a winnable game as they tangle with host NC State on Saturday. The Demon Deacons were on the wrong end of a 37-13 decision to the Tigers but still pulled out the cover and have a much smaller hill to climb in the Wolfpack’s season opener.
- Date/Time: September 19, 8 p.m. ET
- Stadium: Carter-Finley Stadium
- TV Coverage: ACCN
- Sportsbook Odds: NC State -1.5 | O/U 56.5 (Line History)
- Wake Forest vs NC State Matchup Report
Sportsbook Odds Analysis
The line for this game opened with the Wolfpack as 1.5-point favorites, but NC State is now at -3 in the majority of spots. The initial total was set at 56.5.
Wake Forest News & Notes
It’s incredibly difficult to properly assess the state of your offense against a Clemson defensive unit that might just be the best in the country. The Demon Deacons didn’t score a single point in the first half but did finish with nearly 300 passing yards as starter Sam Hartman went 11-for-21 with 182 yards in limited action. He’s worth a bounce-back flyer in DFS formats this week.
One area you might want to avoid this weekend: Wake Forest running backs, who were soundly trounced by Clemson’s stout defensive line. The Demon Deacons produced just 37 rushing yards on 34 attempts, with Christian Beal-Smith limited to 11 carries for 29 yards. The Wolfpack ranked slightly above average in rushing yards allowed last season at 157.2 per game.
NC State News & Notes
It was a challenging 2019 season for the Wolfpack offense, which had routinely enjoyed monster seasons earlier in the 2010s. NC State managed just 2,749 combined passing yards with 14 touchdowns and 10 interceptions between four different passers; Devin Leary is the top returning QB, having led the team in passing yardage (1,219) and passing TDs (eight) in 2019.
Leary isn’t worth a look in daily fantasy formats this weekend – and while the NC State rush attack returns its top three options from last year, identifying the top dog for DFS purposes might be a lost cause. Zonovan Knight led the way with 745 yards and five TDs but will share work with Jordan Houston (526 yards, two TDs) and Ricky Person Jr. (229 yards, three TDs).
Betting Pick: Wake Forest +3 (-110)
The Demon Deacons have their flaws, but they should be able to move the football a lot more easily this week than they did against the Tigers. That, combined with NC State’s work-in-progress passing game, gives us confidence in Wake Forest and the points.
- Wake Forest is 1-5 ATS in its last 6 games at NC State.
- NC State is 0-6 SU and ATS in its last 6 games.
- The UNDER is 9-3 in Wake Forest’s last 12 games.
