WISCONSIN vs WAKE FOREST
When: 12/30/2020 12:00 PM
Where:

TV: 12:00 PM
LINE: 7
PREDICTION: WAKE FOREST , WISCONSIN

Oddsmakers currently have the WAKE FOREST listed as 7 point favorites versus the WISCONSIN, while the game’s total is sitting at 52.5.

There could be plenty of energy and fresh bodies when Wake Forest and Wisconsin meet in the Duke’s Mayo Bowl on Dec. 30 in Charlotte, N.C.

Both schools figure to have unfinished business to tend to in what probably feels like an incomplete season for each squad. This is the first-ever meeting between the programs.

Wisconsin (3-3), which looked to be a contender in the Big Ten Conference when the season began, is in a bowl for the 19th consecutive season — the third-longest active streak in the country.

“We have said throughout this season that all we want is a chance to play,” Badgers coach Paul Chryst said. “With all that has gone on and especially after (defeating Minnesota), our guys are excited for one more opportunity.”

Wake Forest coach Dave Clawson said his team is enthused about the chance to finish the season with a victory after back-to-back losses — albeit almost a month apart — to close the regular season.

“We didn’t do all this work to play eight games. We don’t want our last game to be Louisville,” he said, referring to a 45-21 loss to the Cardinals on Dec. 12.

Wake Forest (4-4) is playing in a school-record fifth consecutive bowl. The Demon Deacons won the first three of those — including in 2017 against Texas A&M in Charlotte (then called the Belk Bowl) — before losing last season to Michigan State in the Pinstripe Bowl.

“When we played Texas A&M, that was a big deal,” Clawson said. “To get a team like Wisconsin that we have great respect for and we know is a traditional power, that’s a big deal to our players.”

The Badgers were much busier than Wake Forest recently, playing five games in the last six weeks. They lost three in a row before pulling out a 20-17 overtime win against Minnesota on Dec. 19.

Senior Garrett Groshek rushed for 161 yards and his first touchdown of the season against the Golden Gophers.

“It shows you that he cares about this team,” Chryst said, hoping that type of spirit carries over to the bowl game.

Quarterback Graham Mertz took a hit and didn’t finish the Minnesota game. Chryst speculated that he would be OK, though Chase Wolf took snaps during the crucial final minutes. Mertz has thrown for eight touchdowns.

Wake Forest has played only once since Nov. 14 and played the fewest games of any Atlantic Coast Conference team this season. This will be the Demon Deacons’ seventh game in their home state this year.

Among games canceled for Wake Forest were matchups with Notre Dame, Miami, Duke, and Florida State. The Seminoles weren’t on the original schedule but added for Dec. 19 amid the ACC’s late-season scheduling revisions, and then called off because of FSU’s coronavirus protocols.

Wisconsin leads the nation in time of possession, playing at a more deliberate pace than Wake Forest prefers.

“They have a style of football in a way that works for them,” Clawson said. “We have a style of football that has worked for us.”

Wake Forest defensive end Carlos Basham has opted not to play in the bowl game. He had 23 consecutive games with a tackle for loss until the Louisville game, a mark that had been the longest active string in the country.

Team scoring leader Kenneth Walker III, a sophomore running back with 13 touchdowns in seven games, also has chosen not to compete any more this year. He sat out the Louisville game as well.

This is the first year of this bowl’s tie-in with the Big Ten Conference. The Badgers are 4-1 in bowls against current ACC members.

Initially, a crowd limited to fewer than 6,000 fans were anticipated per state guidelines amid the pandemic. On Dec. 22, bowl officials announced that only family and friends of team members and bowl sponsors will be permitted to attend.

The post WISCONSIN vs. WAKE FOREST 12/30/2020 Free Pick & CFB Betting Prediction appeared first on IdealCapper.

WAKE FOREST vs NC STATE
When: 7:30 PM ET, Thursday, November 8, 2018
Where: Carter-Finley Stadium, Raleigh, North Carolina

TV: 7:30 PM
LINE: -17
PREDICTION: NC STATE , WAKE FOREST

Oddsmakers currently have the NC STATE listed as -17 point favorites versus the WAKE FOREST, while the game’s total is sitting at 66.5.

No. 22 North Carolina State faces its most common historical opponent Thursday when it hosts Wake Forest in an ACC matchup. This is the 112th meeting between the Tar Heel state rivals, who are coming off opposite performances a week ago.

NC State trounced Florida State in its last contest, rolling to a 47-28 triumph after losing its previous two games and stands 14th in the College Football Playoff rankings. Wake Forest, meanwhile, was thumped by Syracuse, 41-24, to fall for the third time in its last four outings. The home team in 18-2 in the last 20 matchups between the Wolfpack and Demon Deacons, which bodes well for North Carolina State in its bid to move up the ACC Atlantic Division standings. “After we had a rough two weeks, maybe people lost faith, but we never lost faith,” said defensive tackle Larrell Murchison, whose team will face a new Wake Forest quarterback this weekend. “We know what we can do, within ourselves and within our team.”

TV: 7:30 p.m. ET, ESPN. LINE: NC State -17

ABOUT WAKE FOREST (4-5, 1-4 ACC): The Demon Deacons will start redshirt sophomore Jamie Newman at quarterback after Sam Hartman suffered a season-ending leg injury last week. Hartman had thrown multiple touchdown passes in seven of the team’s nine games, creating some big shoes to fill for Newman, who has thrown 19 career passes (zero touchdowns, two interceptions). Matt Colburn posted career highs of 243 rushing yards and three TDs in a win over Louisville on Oct. 27 but was limited to 67 yards on 15 carries (and no scores) against Syracuse.

ABOUT NORTH CAROLINA STATE (6-2, 3-2): True freshmen accounted for 35 of the team’s 47 points in the win over Florida State with Ricky Person scoring three touchdowns and Chris Dunn accounting for four field goals and five extra points. “Obviously we would like to finish some drives more in the end zone instead of finishing with field goals, but having Chris Dunn make all those field goals was huge. That was a big lift for us,” offensive lineman Garrett Bradbury said. Senior Ryan Finley has thrown six touchdowns in the last two games and is two TD passes from matching his career high set in 2016.

EXTRA POINTS

1. NC State, which has not gone undefeated at home since 1986, is 5-0 at Carter-Finley Stadium this season.

2. The Demon Deacons rank 118th nationally (out of 129 teams) by allowing 37.2 points per game.

3. Wake Forest WR Greg Dortch has 17 catches for 230 yards and a score over the last two games.

PREDICTION: North Carolina State 44, Wake Forest 21

The post WAKE FOREST vs. NC STATE 11/8/2018 Free Pick & CFB Betting Prediction appeared first on IdealCapper.

BOSTON COLLEGE vs WAKE FOREST
When: 7:30 PM ET, Thursday, September 13, 2018
Where: BB&T Field, Winston-Salem, North Carolina

TV: 7:30 PM
LINE: 5.5
PREDICTION: WAKE FOREST , BOSTON COLLEGE

Oddsmakers currently have the WAKE FOREST listed as 5.5 point favorites versus the BOSTON COLLEGE, while the game’s total is sitting at .

Boston College and Wake Forest will try to squeeze in an intriguing ACC opener amid the onset of Hurricane Florence when they meet in North Carolina on Thursday night. The storm, a Category 4 hurricane as the week begins, is expected to start impacting the Winston-Salem area as early as Thursday morning, prompting the teams to move the kickoff up two hours to 5:30 p.m. ET.

“Wake Forest University and the Atlantic Coast Conference office continue to monitor the progress of all weather-related issues as they pertain to athletic events this week,” the school said in a statement. “Our top priority is the safety and well being of our student-athletes, coaches, fans and the lives of those in the path of this storm.” Both teams will be trying to stay perfect on the young season, and the Eagles are vying for their first 3-0 start since 2007 after routing Massachusetts and Holy Cross by a combined score of 117-35. Star running back AJ Dillon has picked up where he left off from a stellar freshman campaign, rushing for 247 yards and three touchdowns on just 26 carries through the first two games. The Demon Deacons, who won 34-10 at Boston College last year in the conference opener for both teams, rolled past Towson 51-20 last week and is aiming for its third straight 3-0 start.

TV: 5:30 p.m. ET, ESPN. LINE: Boston College -5

ABOUT BOSTON COLLEGE (2-0): Preparing a football team for a long trip into the path of a hurricane and a Thursday night game can make for a different week, but coach Steve Addazio is doing his best to keep his Eagles focused on football. “All these things are in discussion at this point,” Addazio said at his weekly press conference while discussing the storm threat. “I’m not exactly privy to the details, but in my mind, I’m going to play a game on Thursday and prepared for anything that may come our way.” The rout of Holy Cross last week allowed Addazio to rest many of his starters (Dillon’s 149 yards came in less than a quarter), with quarterback Anthony Brown completing his only two passes before giving way to backups.

ABOUT WAKE FOREST (2-0): Wide receiver Greg Dortch was the team’s leading receiver as a freshman last year despite playing in just eight games, and he has lit up opponents early in his sophomore campaign, first hauling in 12 catches for 149 yards in a win at Tulane and then scoring three times – twice on punt returns – last week. “I may be biased, I think he’s the most exciting player in college football,” fellow wide receiver Alex Bachman told reporters. “Every time he touches the ball there’s a chance something spectacular is going to happen.” The 5-9, 170-pound Dortch has 981 all-purpose yards over his last four games dating back to last season.

EXTRA POINTS 

1. Demon Deacons freshman QB Sam Hartman has 620 passing yards, four TDs and three interceptions through the first two games.

2. The Eagles produced 598 total yards in the win over Massachusetts and 610 against Holy Cross. Those are the top two total yardage outputs for the team under Addazio.

3. Boston College has won four of its last five games at Wake Forest.

PREDICTION: Boston College 31, Wake Forest 28

The post BOSTON COLLEGE vs. WAKE FOREST 9/13/2018 Free Pick & CFB Betting Prediction appeared first on IdealCapper.

WAKE FOREST vs TULANE
When: 8/30/2018 8:00 PM
Where:

TV: 8:00 PM
LINE: 6.5
PREDICTION: TULANE , WAKE FOREST

Oddsmakers currently have the TULANE listed as 6.5 point favorites versus the WAKE FOREST, while the game’s total is sitting at 56.

The post WAKE FOREST vs. TULANE 8/30/2018 Free Pick & CFB Betting Prediction appeared first on IdealCapper.