Duke Blue Devils (8-3) vs. Wake Forest Demon Deacons (4-7)
November 30, 2024 12:00 pm EDT
The Line: Wake Forest Demon Deacons +4.5 / Duke Blue Devils -4.5; Over/Under: +48.5
(Get latest betting odds)
The Duke Blue Devils and the Wake Forest Demon Deacons will meet on Saturday in college football action from Allegacy Federal Credit Union Stadium. Here’s a Wake Forest vs Duke prediction. We will look at this from a betting perspective and determine the best Wake Forest vs Duke pick.
Duke Blue Devils Betting Preview
Duke kicked off their year with wins over Elon, Northwestern, UConn, Middle Tennessee, and North Carolina before a loss to Georgia Tech. Duke went 2-2 over the next four with wins over Florida State and NC State around losses to SMU and Miami.
Matched up against Virginia Tech on Saturday, Duke was outscored 11-10 in the second half but managed to hang on for the three-point win 31-28. Maalik Murphy finished with 332 yards, three TDs, and three picks. Eli Pancol caught all three scores among his five grabs for 188 yards.
Wake Forest Demon Deacons Betting Preview
Over on the Wake Forest side, they lost to Virginia, Ole Miss, and Louisiana in their first four games before getting a victory versus NC State. The Deacons would go 2-3 over their next five, falling to Clemson, California, and North Carolina along the way.
In last weekend’s game versus Miami, Wake Forest took a 20-14 deficit into the fourth quarter, then gave up 22 unanswered points in a 42-14 blowout. Hank Bachmeier posted just 86 yards, one score, and one pick. Demond Claiborne led the rush on 19 totes for 62 yards.
Why the Wake Forest Demon Deacons will win
- Duke has lost seven of its last eight road games against conference opponents.
- The home team has won each of the last four games between Duke and Wake Forest.
- Duke has failed to cover the spread in each of its last four November games as a road favorite against non-AP-ranked teams.
- The home team has covered the spread in four of Duke’s last five games.
Why the Duke Blue Devils will win
- Wake Forest has lost each of its last eight games in November.
- Duke has won 10 of its last 11 games against non-AP-ranked teams.
- Wake Forest has failed to cover the spread in each of its last eight games at Allegacy Federal Credit Union Stadium.
- Duke has covered the spread in five of its last six games against non-AP-ranked teams.
- Duke has won the first half in four of its last five games against conference opponents.
- Duke has won the first quarter in four of its last five games against conference opponents.
Total Points Facts
- Eight of Duke’s last nine November games as a favorite against non-AP-ranked teams have gone OVER the total points line.
- Each of Wake Forest’s last four home games against non-AP-ranked teams has gone OVER the total points line.
Wake Forest vs Duke Prediction
I’ll stick with Duke. The Blue Devils have some improvements to make ahead of this one, though. Duke posted a whopping four turnovers with a measly 2-of-11 success rate on third-down tries in their win over Virginia Tech last weekend, holding the ball for just 20:27 along the way. The running game wasn’t working (64 yards) but the Blue Devils were good enough through the air (332 yards) to hang on. Duke has posted 23 or more points in five straight games, with 27 or more in four straight.
As for Wake Forest, they were out-gained 508-193 in their loss to Miami, mustering just 3.4 yards per play against the Hurricanes’ 7.3 yards. The Deacons have lost three straight games, giving up 31 or more points in each. Duke should have every opportunity to get their offense back to life on Saturday.
