The Kennesaw State Owls take on the Wake Forest Demon Deacons in Winston-Salem, North Carolina, on Friday, Aug. 29. Kickoff is set for 7 p.m. ET on ACC Network.
Wake Forest is favored by -17.5 points on the spread with a moneyline of -950. Kennesaw State, meanwhile, comes in at +625 to pull off the upset. The total is set at 51 points.
Here’s my Kennesaw State vs. Wake Forest prediction and college football picks for Friday, August 29.
Kennesaw State vs Wake Forest Prediction
- Kennesaw State vs. Wake Forest Pick: 1H Under 27.5
My Wake Forest vs. Kennesaw State best bet is for both teams to go under the first-half total. Find the best line available on our live NCAAF odds page.
Kennesaw State vs Wake Forest Odds
| Kennesaw State Odds | ||
|---|---|---|
| Spread | Total | Moneyline |
+17.5 -110 | 51 -110o / -110u | +625 |
| Wake Forest Odds | ||
|---|---|---|
| Spread | Total | Moneyline |
-17.5 -110 | 51 -110o / -110u | -950 |
- Kennesaw State vs Wake Forest point spread: Wake Forest -17.5 (-110), Kennesaw State +17.5 (-110)
- Kennesaw State vs Wake Forest over/under: 51 (-110o / -110u)
- Kennesaw State vs Wake Forest moneyline: Kennesaw State +625, Wake Forest -950
Kennesaw State vs Wake Forest NCAAF Betting Preview
Kennesaw State Owls Betting Preview: A New Era
Kennesaw State's breakup with the program's lone head coach came with plenty of controversy. Brian Bohannon argued that the school fired him, while the school argued that he resigned in the middle of the season.
Granted, the 2024 season was tumultuous for the Owls — they didn't win a game until a shocking upset over Liberty in late October — but the move appeared to have been made in haste.
However, hiring Jerry Mack (formerly of North Carolina A&T) as the next head coach was a calculated and celebrated move. Mack managed to wrangle back in some players from the transfer portal and hopes to continue the consistent culture of the program.
The roster, meanwhile, needs work. Not that last year's unit provided any punch, but every player in the two-deep outside of wide receiver is a transfer this year, except for two backup offensive linemen.
Mack constructed this roster with one hand tied behind his back, as Kennesaw State reportedly doesn't provide the football program with FBS-level resources.
On defense, there are some pieces to work with. Linebacker Donelius Johnson is all-conference level, and cornerback JeRico Washington Jr. is a nice playmaker as a redshirt sophomore. But these talented pieces are few and far between.
Kennesaw State is one of a handful of programs that made good hires for the long-term that may not see immediate success. This is likely a bottom-of-the-barrel FBS team in 2025.
Wake Forest Demon Deacons Betting Preview: Dickert Leading the Way
Dave Clawson stepped away from leading Wake Forest this past winter after nine successful years at the helm. In comes Jake Dickert of Washington State to take his place.
Dickert hired a brand-new staff, namely Rob Ezell (South Alabama) as offensive coordinator and Scottie Hazelton (Michigan State, Texas) as defensive coordinator.
Wake Forest is a difficult place to win. Its facilities, though high quality, pale in comparison to other ACC schools. The admissions standards can also impede the football program's ability to recruit. NIL buy-in is significantly lower than its conference foes. To win in Winston-Salem, you must do things differently and do them well.
Could Dickert get to that point? Surely. Ezell had a good thing going at South Alabama, and Hazelton is a veteran. But even Clawson went 3-9 in each of his first two seasons here, and that was before NIL really kicked into gear.
To be blunt, there's not a ton of talent on hand.
Running back Demond Claiborne is one of the few known commodities, and he'll likely carry much of the offensive load this season. Tackle Fa'alili Fa'amoe (Washington State) could be one of the better ones in the ACC, but he spent most of last year injured. Eight of the projected 11 starters on offense are transfers.
This defense was atrocious a season ago (finished 107th in points per drive allowed), and minimal upgrades were made. Safety Nick Andersen is a standout and earned All-ACC honors last season.
Overall, it's an adjustment year for Wake Forest, and success likely comes later.
Kennesaw State vs Wake Forest Pick, Betting Analysis
We've got two teams not just turning over leadership, but installing vastly different systems from what was in place before.
Wake Forest ditches the notorious "Slow Mesh" in favor of a more spread tempo offense. Kennesaw State drops its spread option attack for an ultra-tempo attack in the vein of Josh Heupel at Tennessee.
Despite having all summer to install these new systems, there's bound to be some growing pains.
Unfortunately for both rosters, these growing pains can't be papered over with all-star playmakers.
Wake Forest named Auburn and South Carolina transfer Robby Ashford as the starting quarterback, while Kennesaw State starts veteran and multi-transfer Dexter Williams II.
While both present marginal upside in athleticism, neither jumps off the page with talent. They have both sat behind their fair share of QBs (both incumbent and incoming).
Tempo dictates some of the full-game and first-half numbers here. But tempo without efficiency turns into a mess, and that's more where I expect this game to start off.
The Wake roster is substantially more talented than Kennesaw State's, and I believe the Demon Deacons defense will hold its own.
Will Wake cover this first-half number on its own? That's what I'm betting against with the unfamiliar system and significant team identity change.
Pick: 1H Under 27.5 (-118)
