The Akron Zips take on the Wake Forest Demon Deacons in Winston-Salem, North Carolina, on Thursday, Sept. 3. Kickoff is set for 7 p.m. ET on the ACC Network.
Wake Forest is favored by -24.5 points on the spread with a moneyline of -4000. Akron, meanwhile, enters as a +24.5 underdog and is +1400 on the moneyline to pull off the upset. The over/under sits at 48.5 total points.
Here’s my Akron vs. Wake Forest prediction and college football picks for Thursday, September 3.
Akron vs Wake Forest Prediction
- Akron vs. Wake Forest Pick: Akron +24.5
My Wake Forest vs. Akron best bet is on the Zips to cover the spread. Find the best line available on our live NCAAF odds page.
Akron vs Wake Forest Odds
| Akron Odds | ||
|---|---|---|
| Spread | Total | Moneyline |
+24.5 -115 | 48.5 -110o / -110u | +1400 |
| Wake Forest Odds | ||
|---|---|---|
| Spread | Total | Moneyline |
-24.5 -105 | 48.5 -110o / -110u | -4000 |
- Akron vs Wake Forest point spread: Wake Forest -24.5 (-105), Akron +24.5 (-115)
- Akron vs Wake Forest over/under: 48.5 (-110o / -110u)
- Akron vs Wake Forest moneyline: Akron +1400, Wake Forest -4000
Akron vs Wake Forest College Football Preview
Akron Zips Betting Preview: A New Face at the Helm
I find it fascinating that this is Joe Moorhead’s fifth season leading the Zips, yet he still hasn’t had a season over .500.
The one thing that I can give him is that he has improved in the win column in three consecutive seasons.
However, this was one of the least impressive offenses in college football last season, ranking 108th in points per game and 107th in Success Rate. While quarterback Ben Finley has moved on, it was possibly the best thing for the Zips.
Finley was highly inefficient, completing an abhorrent 51% of his passes last season for the Zips. But I often wonder how new quarterback Reese Poffenbarger will fare.
He was a stud at Albany, throwing for 3,000 yards in his first two seasons, but since then, has been a backup at Miami and North Texas. But against a Power 4 team, Poffenbarger will be in for some fireworks.
Moorhead hasn’t fielded a top-100 offense for as long as he’s been calling plays, but the silver lining is that running back Jordan Gant returns after a 1,000-yard rushing season, as well as leading receiver Marcel Williams.
I’m more bullish on the defense here, but I’m not sure that’s saying much.
Last season, Akron allowed 29.3 points per game, which ranked 89th in the FBS. Primarily, it’s because of the Zips' inability to stop explosive plays. They ranked 106th in explosiveness allowed, while Wake Forest was third in explosiveness generated.
Wake Forest Demon Deacons Betting Preview: Next Man Up
This will be an intriguing season for the Demon Deacons, with UNC transfer quarterback Gio Lopez heading an hour and a half west to Wake Forest.
Lopez had himself a successful redshirt freshman season at South Alabama, but going to Chapel Hill exposed him to the Bill Belichick drama.
And since Robby Ashford exhausted his college eligibility, this is Lopez’s team.
Ashford was a bit of a wild card, who was mainly a running threat since his throwing ability was all over the place. Lopez can definitely run the ball, but I don’t anticipate him taking it to Ashford’s level.
I do expect Wake Forest to focus heavily on the run. The Deacs will have former four-star running back KD Daniels coming in from Florida, and they’ll also have Ty Clark III, who’s expected to lead the running back room.
Last season, Wake Forest had the luxury of Demond Claiborne, but now that he transitioned to the NFL, the Deacs will have a lot to figure out in terms of who leads the charge in the backfield.
Keep an eye out for true freshman Deuce Lawrence, who seems to have caught the eye of head coach Jake Dickert.
If there was anything I’d be least concerned about, though, it's Wake’s defense.
The Deacs ranked 10th in Success Rate allowed and 21st in Havoc.
Losing safety and lead tackler Nick Andersen to graduation is going to hurt, but Davaughn Patterson will be a huge boost to this defense. Last season, Patterson was behind Andersen in total tackles and led the team with nine pass breakups.
In addition, linebacker Langston Hardy returning to Wake’s defense will only be beneficial. Last season, he tied for ninth in the FBS with 17 tackles for loss.
Akron vs Wake Forest Pick, Betting Analysis
This is a clear mismatch, and I couldn’t be more bearish on Akron.
However, with this being both teams’ first matchup, I think this has the makings of a feeling-out type of game.
Wake Forest opens up as a 24.5 favorite, but given that there’s a new run game in place, as well as a new quarterback, I can see this game starting slow.
What won me over even more was that Action Network’s projections give Wake Forest the 20.7-point edge here, which bodes well for Akron +24.5.
Pick: Akron +24.5
