The Wake Forest Demon Deacons take on the Duke Blue Devils in Durham, North Carolina. Kickoff is set for 3:30 p.m. ET on ACC Network.
Duke is favored by 1 point on the spread with a moneyline of -120. Wake Forest, meanwhile, enters as a +1 underdog and is +100 on the moneyline to pull off the upset. The over/under sits at 53.5 total points.
Here’s my Wake Forest vs. Duke prediction and college football picks for Saturday, November 29.
Wake Forest vs Duke Prediction
- Wake Forest vs. Duke Pick: Duke -1.5
My Duke vs. Wake Forest best bet is on the Blue Devils to cover the spread. Find the best line available on our live NCAAF odds page.
Wake Forest vs Duke Odds
| Wake Forest Odds | ||
|---|---|---|
| Spread | Total | Moneyline |
+1 -110 | 53.5 -110o / -110u | +100 |
| Duke Odds | ||
|---|---|---|
| Spread | Total | Moneyline |
-1 -110 | 53.5 -110o / -110u | -120 |
- Wake Forest vs Duke Spread: Duke -1, Wake Forest +1
- Wake Forest vs Duke Over/Under: 53.5 Points
- Wake Forest vs Duke Moneyline: Wake Forest +100, Duke -120
Wake Forest vs Duke College Football Betting Preview
When Wake Forest Has the Ball
This is a tough wager to stomach considering how inconsistent Duke has been this year.
Still, a short number becomes more appealing the deeper you dig into the matchup, and everything about Wake Forest’s offensive profile points toward long, inefficient drives.
In contrast, everything about Duke’s offense points toward efficiency, explosiveness and repeated scoring chances that the Decons don't have the personnel to keep up with.
Wake Forest enters this game with one of the least threatening offensive efficiency profiles in the ACC, ranking 110th in EPA/Pass, 79th EPA/Rush and an especially damaging 109th early downs EPA/Play, which tells you it repeatedly loses first and second down and ends up behind schedule.
That’s why WF finds itself forced into tougher third-down situations.
Against a Duke defense that already thrives at forcing opponents into third-and-long (15th), Wake is staring at repeated drives where their margin for error is paper-thin.
It has also gained only 40.9% of available yards, which means it consistently stalls out before getting into scoring range.
That is precisely the type of offense that struggles on the road in a tight game. This is not about the Duke defense; it's more about the questionable Wake offense.
When Duke Has the Ball
On the other side of the ball, this is where the game tilts heavily in Duke’s favor.
Wake’s defense is legitimately elite, ranking 18th in EPA/Pass allowed, 20th in EPA/Rush allowed and an elite seventh in early downs EPA/Play allowed.
However, Duke is precisely the type of offense that can break its structure.
The Blue Devils sit at 17th in EPA/Pass, 60th in EPA/Rush and 21st in early downs EPA/Play, meaning they avoid negative plays and force defenses into conflict by staying on schedule.
Duke gains 55.6% of available yards (20th), which is a top-tier number that suggests scoring drives aren’t fluky. Instead, the Blue Devils systematically move the ball, stack first downs and reach scoring range at one of the highest rates in the conference.
This matters because Wake’s defense thrives against offenses that sputter early and are stuck behind the chains, but Duke’s offense ranks among the best in the ACC at avoiding exactly that scenario.
And while Wake’s defense is strong, it has been far more vulnerable against balanced attacks, particularly those that win the time-of-possession battle and start with solid field position, an area where Duke is significantly stronger than Wake Forest.
Wake Forest vs Duke Pick, Betting Analysis
Add in the situational angle, and the gap widens. Duke still has a real shot at making the ACC Championship, so we should see a detailed game plan and sharper execution.
Wake Forest, meanwhile, enters as a team whose offense has consistently dragged it down and now faces one of the most balanced offensive units on its schedule.
Wake has a good defense, but its offense doesn't give it enough possessions or explosiveness to keep pace with a Duke team that not only has more talent but also matches up optimally at every leverage point.
Duke avoids negative early-down plays, creates more explosive passing opportunities, controls starting field position and has much higher efficiency in general.
In a game likely dictated by who can move the chains consistently and turn early-down success into scoring opportunities, Duke has every edge you want when laying a short number.
Pick: Duke -1.5
Wake Forest vs Duke Betting Trends
