The Wake Forest Demon Deacons are coming into the Birmingham Bowl as underdogs as they prepare to take on the Memphis Tigers. Fans can catch the action live on ESPN and the opening kickoff is set for 12:00 p.m. ET.
Memphis Tigers vs. Wake Forest Demon Deacons Betting Preview
In this Saturday game, Memphis is projected as the favorite and is currently giving up 6 points. The Tigers are also receiving -230 moneyline odds while the Demon Deacons are +185. It appears that there will likely be some good in-game betting opportunities while the showdown is underway, and Vegas has placed the over/under (O/U) at a sky-high 74 points.
This opening line was initially set at -4 and the total was originally 73, so it seems that the sharp action is siding with both the Tigers and the over.
The underwhelming Tigers are down 9.3 units so far and 8-5 against the spread (ATS). The team’s posted an Over-Under record of 7-5. Despite a 4-8 record ATS, the surprising Demon Deacons are up 8.6 units this season. The team the over has hit in seven of its games.
The Tigers are 8-5 straight up (SU) in 2018 while the Demon Deacons are 6-6 SU.
The Tigers fell to UCF 56-41 in a game where the defense allowed the Knights to pass for 348 yards and two touchdowns while rushing for 350 yards and six scores. Greg McCrae was on a different level for the Knights in that one with 206 rushing yards and a score on 24 attempts, along with 30 yards on three catches. On the offense, Brady White completed 17 passes for only 178 yards and one interception. Darrell Henderson (210 rushing yards on 16 attempts, three TDs) and Patrick Taylor Jr. (118 yards on 15 carries, one TD) led the ground attack while Taylor Jr. (four receptions, 23 yards) and Damonte Coxie (three catches, 42 yards) shared the receiving duties in the defeat.
The Wake Forest Deacs just earned a lopsided 59-7 win over Duke. The defensive unit allowed the Blue Devils to run for 106 yards on 34 rush attempts. Deon Jackson was a bright spot in the loss for Duke, recording 30 rushing yards on eight attempts, along with 45 yards on seven catches. For Wake Forest, Jamie Newman completed 18-of-23 passes for 177 yards and four touchdowns. Cade Carney (223 yards on 31 rush attempts, two TDs) and the signal-caller Newman (50 yards on 13 carries) spearheaded the running attack as Greg Dortch (10 receptions, 124 yards, one TD) and Alex Bachman (three catches, 16 yards, one TD) led the pass-catching attack in the win.
Each squad sports a similar (59-41) run-pass ratio on the season. Having said that, the Tigers have produced 286 rush yards/game and have 46 touchdowns on the ground this year. The Deacs haven’t been quite as productive, as they’re averaging 215 rush yards per game and have 18 total rushing TDs.
It seems like the Tigers could hold an edge in terms of efficiency in the ground game, as their backfield has logged 6.6 yards per carry while the defense is allowing a YPC of 4.1 to opponents. The Demon Deacons have tallied 4.5 yards per carry and given up 4.9 yards per rush attempt to opponents.
The Tigers offensive scheme has averaged 249 yards in the air overall and has 27 passing scores so far. The Deacs have recorded 228 pass yards per outing and have 24 total pass TDs.
On the defensive side of the ball, Memphis appears to have the upper hand in both facets. The team has allowed 170 rush yards and 251 pass yards per game. The Wake Forest defense has given up 274.0 yards per game to opposing passers and 191.3 yards per game on the ground. The Tigers are giving up an adjusted net yards per pass attempt (ANY/A) of just 6.58 to opposing QBs, while the Deacs have allowed a 7.13 ANY/A.
Offensively, White is up to 2,916 passing yards this season. The signal-caller has completed 63 percent of his 332 attempts with 24 passing scores and only six interceptions. White has an 8.58 adjusted net yards per pass attempt overall, although that number sits at 3.73 over the last two games.
The Tigers will likely try to control the pace by getting the ball into the hands of their running backs. The tandem of Darrell Henderson (1,731 rush yards, 20 rush TDs, three receiving TDs) and Patrick Taylor Jr. (884 rush yards, 13 rush TDs, 173 receiving yards, one receiving TD) have delivered in the Memphis offensive scheme.
In the home locker room, Jamie Newman has managed to complete 47-of-71 passes for 549 yards, seven TDs and one INT. Newman’s ANY/A sits at 8.01 for the season and 6.54 over his last two outings.
The Deacs will also try to dictate the game’s pace by turning to their backfield. In addition to Cade Carney (23 receiving yards), Greg Dortch (20 rush yards, 1,045 receiving yards, eight receiving TDs) and Sage Surratt (501 receiving yards and three TDs) have seen a multitude of touches recently.
Free Pick: Memphis Tigers at Wake Forest Demon Deacons
SU Winner – Memphis, ATS Winner – Memphis, O/U – Under
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Notes
Team Betting Trends
Memphis has averaged 6.9 yards per carry across its past three outings and 7.7 over its last two.
Wake Forest has averaged 4.5 yards per carry over its last three games and 4.9 over its past two.
The Wake Forest offense has lost six fumbles this season while Memphis has lost seven.
The Tigers offense has created 12 pass plays of 40+ yards, while the Demon Deacons have accounted for four such plays.
The Memphis defense has allowed 16 pass plays of 40 or more yards, while Wake Forest has given up eight such plays.
The Memphis offense has created 46 rushing plays of 20 or more yards, while Wake Forest has created 19 such runs.
The Tigers defense has allowed 20 rushing plays of 20 or more yards, while the Demon Deacons have given up 21 such runs.
The Memphis D has sacked opposing quarterbacks 35 times this season. Wake Forest has recorded just 22 sacks.
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