#15 North Carolina Tar Heels at Wake Forest Demon Deacons Betting Preview
The Wake Forest Demon Deacons (6-3, 2-3 ACC) have a chance to hand the #15 North Carolina Tar Heels (8-1, 5-0 ACC) their first conference loss when UNC visits Wake Forest this weekend. North Carolina has won the last two matchups, both combining for over 100 points.
Saturday’s kickoff is scheduled to kick off at 7:30 p.m. EST at Truist Field in Winston-Salem, North Carolina. Wake Forest is a four-point favorite, and the over/under total is 78.0 points.
What to Know – #15 North Carolina Tar Heels
Outside of a double-digit defeat to the Notre Dame Fighting Irish, the Tar Heels are perfect on the season and climbing the rankings each week. UNC sits atop the Coastal division with a two-game lead over the Duke Blue Devils.
Freshman quarterback Drake Maye has lived up to the hype as the redshirt freshman took over the starting role prior to the beginning of the season. Maye has already thrown for 2,964 yards with 31 touchdowns and only three interceptions. The North Carolina-native can also do it with his legs, adding 513 yards and four touchdowns rushing.
If Maye isn’t carrying the ball, starting running back Omarion Hampton is handling the rushing duties. Hampton trails Maye in attempts and yards but leads UNC with five rushing TDs. Backup running backs Caleb Hood and Elijah Green add solid change-of-pace backs who’ve each carried the ball over 40 times a piece.
Josh Downs is Maye’s favorite target at wide receiver. Downs has nearly three times as many receptions as the next player, hauling in 63 receptions for 693 yards and eight touchdowns. Antonio Green adds 26 catches for 597 yards and six scores.
What to Know – Wake Forest Demon Deacons
Wake Forest was highly ranked two weeks ago, but back-to-back losses have sent the Demon Deacons out of the Top 25 and fallen to the bottom of the Atlantic division. The Demon Deacons can put those losses in the past with a victory Saturday night.
Sam Hartman missed the first game of the season but has come back to be one of the top quarterbacks in the ACC. Hartman is completing 62.7% of his passes with 24 touchdowns and nine interceptions over eight contests.
The Demon Deacons split the rushing attack between Justice Ellison and Christian Turner. Ellison leads the team in rushing attempts (108) and yards (453) and has found the endzone four times. Turner leads Wake Forest with six touchdowns and has accumulated 382 yards on the ground.
Four wide receivers have over 400 yards or more, as Hartman likes to spread the ball around to his playmakers. A.T. Perry leads the pack, hauling in 47 receptions for 711 yards and six touchdowns. Jahmal Banks trails closely behind, catching 33 passes for 477 yards and eight TDs.
The Pick is In
The last two contests between these two ACC foes have gone down to the wire with video game-like scoring. North Carolina is rolling, while Wake Forest has dropped two straight. UNC has a quarterback to keep pace with Hartman, and the Tar Heels win this one outright.
The Pick: #15 North Carolina Tar Heels +4
