The Wake Forest Demon Deacons (1-3) are set to make the short trip to Raleigh, North Carolina, to visit the NC State Wolfpack (3-2). Kickoff is at 12 p.m. ET on The CW Network.
Neither of these two teams have gotten off to the best of starts, but the oddsmakers feel there's a gap between them.
The Wolfpack got back over .500 with a win over Northern Illinois last week, 24-17. However, this NC State team has yet to reach the potential many saw for it in the preseason, and with question marks surrounding the offense, it may open the door for its opposition.
Speaking of NC State's opposition, the Demon Deacons come into this matchup off a tough loss to Louisiana, 41-38. Wake Forest battled, but it missed a late field goal, failing to force overtime.
The Wolfpack are favored by 5.5 points on the spread and are -220 on the moneyline. Meanwhile, the total for this matchup is set at 54.5 points.
So, will the Demon Deacons carry their momentum into this matchup? Or will we see the Wolfpack offense begin to fire on all cylinders?
Here's my Wake Forest vs. NC State predictions and my college football picks for Saturday.
Wake Forest vs NC State Prediction
- Wake Forest vs NC State Pick: Wake Forest +5.5
My Wake Forest vs NC State best bet is on the Demon Deacons spread with the best line currently available at BetMGM, according to our live NCAAF odds page.
Wake Forest vs NC State Odds
| Wake Forest Odds | ||
|---|---|---|
| Spread | Total | Moneyline |
+5.5 -110 | 54.5 -110 / -110 | +180 |
| NC State Odds | ||
|---|---|---|
| Spread | Total | Moneyline |
-5.5 -110 | 54.5 -110 / -110 | -220 |
- Wake Forest vs NC State Point Spread: Wake Forest +5.5 (-110) · NC State -5.5 (-110)
- Wake Forest vs NC State Total: Over/Under 54.5
- Wake Forest vs NC State Moneyline: Wake Forest +180 · NC State -220
Wake Forest vs NC State Preview
Wake Forest Demon Deacons Betting Preview: Bachmeier the Key?
It's been a long road for Wake Forest quarterback Hank Bachmeier. However, the senior looks to have settled in nicely, as he's off to a great start in year six.
Bachmeier leads a pass-heavy Demon Deacons offense that's 32nd in yards per game. He's completed over 66% of his passes and is averaging 7.6 yards per completion, which is good for 50th in the country.
This passing attack led by the best version we've seen of Bachmeier should give NC State some trouble.
The Wolfpack may rank 37th in opponent completion percentage allowed, but they were also torched by Nico Iamaleava of Tennessee and Cade Klubnik of Clemson.
I'm not putting Bachmeier in the same class as those two quarterbacks, but he's much closer to them than the other three quarterbacks the Wolfpack have faced.
However, the Wake Forest offense doesn't have to be one-dimensional in this matchup.
The Deacs should have a big edge on the ground, as they outrank NC State 14 to 62 in rushing success rate and 45 to 93 in line yards on this side of the ball.
That means we should see plenty of Demond Claiborne, who averages 5.5 yards per carry.
NC State has dropped off defensively, and Wake Forest is steadily improving. That should continue in this matchup.
NC State Wolfpack Betting Preview: Can They Get Going Offensively?
I mentioned in the open that this NC State team hasn't shown the potential that was projected for it entering the season.
A big part of the Wolfpack's struggles thus far have to do with Grayson McCall not being healthy.
However, their other star transfer — running back Jordan Waters — is averaging just 4.1 yards per carry. They rank 108th in rushing success rate, and those struggles have put the load of the offense on backup quarterback CJ Bailey.
Bailey's primary target — Kevin Concepcion — has only racked up 70 yards on 17 receptions with him under center. It's clear this offense is lacking explosiveness.
With all of these stalling parts on the offense, it's hard to be confident in the Wolfpack, even in a great matchup against a Wake Forest defense that's 119th in points per game allowed and 131st in yards per game allowed.
This is NC State's opportunity to get it going offensively, but it's going to have to prove it because it may need to go score-for-score with the Demon Deacons.
Wake Forest vs NC State
Matchup Analysis
Toggle the dropdowns below to hide or show how Wake Forest and NC State match up statistically:
Wake Forest Offense vs. NC State Defense
 | Offense |  Defense |  Edge |
| Rush Success | 14 | 62 | |
| Line Yards | 45 | 93 | |
| Pass Success | 42 | 57 | |
| Havoc | 15 | 35 | |
| Finishing Drives | 94 | 105 | |
| Quality Drives | 49 | 107 | |
NC State Offense vs. Wake Forest Defense
| Offense | Defense | Edge |
| Rush Success | 108 | 117 | |
| Line Yards | 96 | 124 | |
| Pass Success | 38 | 131 | |
| Havoc | 130 | 131 |  |
| Finishing Drives | 64 | 99 | |
| Quality Drives | 87 | 129 | |
Pace of Play / Other
| | |
| PFF Tackling | 26 | 22 |
| PFF Coverage | 110 | 47 |
| Special Teams SP+ | 63 | 5 |
| Middle 8 | 32 | 127 |
| Seconds per Play | 23.4 (10) | 31.4 (131) |
| Rush Rate | 47% (111) | 53% (77) |
Wake Forest vs NC State Pick & Prediction
This is an intriguing matchup between two teams near the bottom of the ACC.
However, we can learn a lot about each team, as the Demon Deacons are bound to find results if they can clean up defensively.
However, for the Wolfpack, there's nothing but question marks surrounding them, despite this being a great matchup on paper.
I'm going to fade NC State until proven otherwise.
Pick: Wake Forest +5.5 (Play to 3.5)
How to Watch Wake Forest vs NC State Live: Start Time, TV Channel, Location
| Location: | Carter-Finley Stadium |
| Date: | Saturday, Oct. 5 |
| Kickoff Time: | 12 p.m. ET |
| TV / Streaming: | The CW |
Wake Forest vs NC State Betting Trends
- 73% of the money is on NC State to cover the spread against Wake Forest.
- 88% of the money is on the under to hit in Wake Forest vs. NC State.
