The North Carolina Tar Heels (+3) aren’t traveling far to battle their in-conference nemesis Wake Forest Demon Deacons at BB&T Field. Fans can tune in to the action on ESPN and this Friday game is scheduled to kick off at 6:00 p.m. ET.
Betting Preview: Wake Forest Demon Deacons vs. North Carolina Tar Heels
North Carolina is the road underdog in this ACC game and is currently getting 3 points. The Tar Heels are also receiving +120 moneyline odds while the Demon Deacons are -140. Multiple decent in-game betting scenarios could be unveiled during the contest, and Vegas has determined the over/under (O/U) to be 66 points.
The over is receiving the bulk of the early sharp action. The game’s total initially opened at only 62.5.
Each of these teams has been profitable this season as the Tar Heels have gained 5.0 units and the Demon Deacons are up 2.0 units.
The Tar Heels are 2-0 straight up (SU), including 1-0 SU against conference opponents. The Demon Deacons are 2-0 SU overall and 0-0 SU in conference play.
The Tar Heels are hoping to stay unbeaten following a 28-25 victory over Miami (FL) last week. Sam Howell completed 16-of-24 passes for 274 yards and two touchdowns. Dyami Brown (four receptions, 80 yards, one TD) and Rontavius Groves (three catches, 41 yards) handled the receiving duties.
Wake Forest is coming off of a 41-21 win over Rice. The defensive secondary allowed the Owls to air it out for 254 yards. Brad Rozner was a bright spot in the loss for Rice, recording 103 yards on six catches. For Wake Forest, Jamie Newman completed 21-of-27 passes for 312 yards and three touchdowns. Christian Beal-Smith (30 rushing yards on 10 attempts, one TD) and Kenneth Walker III (125 yards on nine carries, one TD) handled the ground game in the win as Scotty Washington (seven receptions, 158 yards, two TDs) and Sage Surratt (six catches, 45 yards, one TD) led the receiving corps.
North Carolina has run the ball on 64.2 percent of its offensive possessions this year while Wake Forest has an overall rush percentage of 55.7 percent. The Tar Heels have run for 167.5 yards per game and have only one score via handoffs this year. The Deacs are logging 189.5 rushing yards per game and have four total rush TDs.
If the numbers so far this season are any indication, then it’s looking like the Deacs ought to have an advantage when it comes to efficiency in the ground game. Their backfield has logged 4.1 yards per carry while their defense is allowing 3.6 yards per rush attempt to opponents. The Tar Heels have recorded 3.8 yards per carry while allowing 4.5 YPC to opponents.
The Heels offensive scheme has averaged 268.5 yards in the air overall and has four passing score so far. The Deacs have put up a superb 356.5 pass yards per game and have six total pass TDs.
North Carolina should hold an edge when it comes to limiting the pass. The team’s let opponents rush for an average of 153.5 yards and pass for 225.5 yards per game. The Wake Forest defense has allowed 335 yards per game to opposing passers and 123.5 yards per game to opposing runners. The Heels are allowing an adjusted net yards per pass attempt (ANY/A) of just 5.03 to opponents, while the Deacs have given up a 6.66 ANY/A.
Newman has managed to complete 21-of-27 passes for 312 yards, three TDs and zero INTs for Wake Forest. His adjusted net yards per pass attempt sits at 13.78 for the season and 10.57 over his past two outings. In the other huddle, Howell is up to 274 passing yards this year. He’s connected on 16-of-24 attempts with two passing touchdowns and has yet to throw an interception. Howell’s got a 10.36 ANY/A, including 10.02 over the last two games.
These two conference foes did not get a chance to face each other a year ago.
North Carolina Tar Heels at Wake Forest Demon Deacons Free NCAA Betting Tip
SU Winner: North Carolina, ATS Winner: North Carolina, O/U: Under
Team Betting Trends
- The North Carolina D has seven sacks on the year while Wake Forest has five.
- Each offense has lost one fumble this season.
- The Tar Heels offense has produced one pass play of 40 yards or more, while the Demon Deacons have accounted for two such plays.
- The North Carolina defense has allowed zero pass plays of 40 yards or more, while Wake Forest has given up two such plays.
- The North Carolina offense has created six rushing plays of 20+ yards, while Wake Forest has created three such runs.
- The Tar Heels defense has allowed four rushing plays of 20 or more yards, while the Demon Deacons have given up two such runs.
