The Pittsburgh Panthers (-5) are traveling south to face the Wake Forest Demon Deacons at BB&T Field. This crucial conference game will get going at 12:00 p.m. ET and CHSS is in line to have the TV rights.
Pittsburgh Panthers at Wake Forest Demon Deacons Betting Preview
Wake Forest is projected to play the role of underdog and is currently getting 5 points in this Saturday ACC game. The Panthers are also receiving -220 moneyline odds while the Demon Deacons are +180. Oddsmakers have determined the over/under (O/U) to be 61 points. Should Pittsburgh falls behind in the early stages, it’ll probably result in a worthwhile live betting scenario.
Square bettors have been hammering the Deacs, as the line opened at 6. The over/under hasn’t changed after it was initially set at 61.
Each team has posted a good return this season as the Panthers have gained 3.8 units while the Demon Deacons are up 6.7 units.
The Panthers are 6-4 straight up (SU), including 5-1 SU against ACC opponents. The Demon Deacons are 5-5 SU overall and 2-4 SU in conference play.
These two conference foes did not get a chance to face each other last season.
The Panthers are coming off a resounding 52-22 win over Virginia Tech last week where Kenny Pickett completed seven-of-11 passes for only 162 yards and one touchdown. Qadree Ollison (235 yards on 16 rush attempts, three TDs) and the signal-caller Pickett (58 yards on nine carries) mounted the ground attack. Taysir Mack (three receptions, 78 yards) and Maurice Ffrench (two catches, 83 yards, one TD) shared the receiving duties in the win.
Wake Forest just put together a 27-23 win over North Carolina State. The defensive secondary let the Wolfpack air it out for 374 yards. Kelvin Harmon was a bright spot in the loss, posting 134 yards on 15 catches for North Carolina State. For Wake Forest, Jamie Newman completed 22-of-33 passes for 297 yards and three touchdowns. Newman (44 yards on 13 rush attempts) and Cade Carney (68 yards on 12 carries) spearheaded the running game while Sage Surratt (eight receptions, 109 yards) and Greg Dortch (six catches, 75 yards, one TD) led all Wake Forest pass-catchers in the win.
Pittsburgh has run the ball on 64.6 percent of its offensive possessions this year while Wake Forest has an overall rush percentage of 58.4 percent. The Panthers have rushed for 257 yards/game (including 310 per game versus Atlantic Coast opponents) and have 26 touchdowns on the ground this year. The Deacs are logging 216 rush yards per game (206 in conference) and have 15 total rushing TDs.
Based on the results this season, it seems like the Panthers could hold an edge when it comes to RB effectiveness, as their backfield has produced 6.5 yards per carry while the defense is allowing 4.4 yards per rush attempt to opponents. The Demon Deacons have registered 4.4 yards per carry and given up 5.2 YPC to opponents.
The Panthers offensive scheme has logged 139 yards/contest through the air overall (147 per game against conference opposition) and has nine passing TDs so far. The Deacs have recorded 236 pass yards per contest (226.0 against ACC foes) and have 19 total pass scores.
Defensively, Pittsburgh should have the upper hand in both facets. The team has allowed opponents to rush for an average of 172 yards and throw for 245 yards per game. The Wake Forest D has allowed 282.7 yards per game to opposing passers and 203.6 yards per game on the ground. Both teams allow similar adjusted net yards per pass attempt (ANY/A) to the opposition, as the Panthers have given up an ANY/A of 6.98 to opposing QBs, while the Deacs are allowing an ANY/A of 7.20.
Offensively, Pickett has put up 1,318 passing yards this season, and has connected on 61 percent of his 199 attempts with nine passing scores and five interceptions. Pickett has a 5.32 adjusted net yards per pass attempt overall, although that number sits at 7.20 over the last two outings.
Jamie Newman has managed to complete 29-of-48 passes for 372 yards, three TDs and one INT for Wake Forest. His ANY/A stands at 7.11 for the year and 9.41 over his past two games.
RELATED: Week 12 College Football Betting Odds and Predictions
Free Pick: Pittsburgh Panthers at Wake Forest Demon Deacons
SU Winner – Pittsburgh, ATS Winner – Pittsburgh, O/U – Over
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Notes
Team Betting Notes
The Panthers offense has recorded eight pass plays of 40 or more yards, while the Demon Deacons have put up four such plays.
The Pittsburgh defense has allowed 10 pass plays of 40 or more yards, while Wake Forest has given up seven such plays.
The Pittsburgh offense has created 28 rushing plays of 20 or more yards, while Wake Forest has created 17 such runs.
The Panthers defense has allowed 23 rushing plays of 20 yards or more, while the Demon Deacons have given up 20 such runs.
The Pittsburgh defense has 25 sacks on the year while Wake Forest has just 18.
Pittsburgh has averaged 9.5 yards per carry across its past three games and 9.6 over its last two.
Wake Forest has averaged 5.1 yards per carry over its last three contests and 3.6 over its past two.
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