Two dominant defenses will dictate this as the North Carolina State Wolfpack (4-2) take on the Wake Forest Demon Deacons (3-4). The ACC’s second-leading rusher, Matthew Dayes (588 yards, 10 TDs), will be featured in this game. Recent weeks haven’t given Wake Forest much hope, as it has been on the losing end of three of its last four. The game will air Saturday, Oct 24 at 12:00 p.m. ET on ESP3 and CHSS.
In last week’s matchup, Wake Forest struggled mightily against North Carolina 50-14. Cam Serigne had a quality performance in the loss, pulling in six receptions for 65 yards and one TD. John Wolford had 176 yards and two TDs through the air. North Carolina State also fell short, losing to Virginia Tech 28-13. Jaylen Samuels had a solid performance for the Wolfpack, grabbing two receptions for 29 yards.
This week’s matchup between the Demon Deacons and Wolfpack has even odds and the Over/Under (O/U) is unavailable currently.
With a 3-4 record both Straight Up (SU) and Against The Spread (ATS), the Demon Deacons will look to improve as they head into Week 8. Expect the Demon Deacons defense to restrict North Carolina State’s passing attack. The Demon Deacons have the 15th-ranked pass defense in the nation and give up only 168.9 passing yards per game.
Over on the other sideline, the Wolfpack head into Week 8 with records of 4-2 for both ATS and SU. The North Carolina State defense has given opposing running backs trouble this season. Opponents average just 100.2 rushing yards per game against this menacing unit. The Demon Deacons will have to stay focused in the second quarter against North Carolina State. The Wolfpack usually finish off the first half with dominance, averaging 11.7 points during the second quarter.
Predictions: SU Winner – North Carolina State, ATS Winner – North Carolina State
Notes
Wake Forest is 2-4 ATS in its last 6 games.
Wake Forest is 6-18 SU in its last 24 games.
Wake Forest is 2-5 SU in its last 7 games at home.
The total has gone UNDER in 11 of Wake Forest’s last 15 games at home.
Wake Forest is 5-0 SU in its last 5 games when playing at home against North Carolina State.
The total has gone OVER in 4 of Wake Forest’s last 6 games when playing at home against North Carolina State.
The total has gone OVER in 4 of North Carolina State’s last 6 games when playing on the road against Wake Forest.
North Carolina State is 4-0 SU when leading at the start of the 4th quarter this season. Wake Forest is 2-0 SU when leading at the end of the third quarter.
Wake Forest is only 1-3 SU in games where it wins the turnover battle, and an even 1-1 SU when losing the turnover battle.
The Wake Forest offensive passing attack is ranked only 50th nationally, while the North Carolina State pass defense is ranked eighth. The Wolfpack passing game is ranked just 89th, compared to the 15th-ranked pass defense of the Demon Deacons.
