Wake Forest vs. Rice Prediction
Can Wake Forest handle being a large road favorite when the Demon Deacons take on Rice in college football action tonight at 8PM ET?
Game Snapshot & Odds
301 Wake Forest vs. 302 Rice
Friday, September 6, 2019
8PM ET – Rice Stadium
TV: CBSSN
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Public Betting Trends
According to the latest oddsmakers, Wake Forest is favored in this game, as the Demon Deacons are getting odds of -19.5 points against Rice. The over/under total for the contest is listed at 58.5 points. The public betting currently has 66 percent going on Wake Forest as the favorite. This information is subject to change, however, so be sure to check out our NCAAF Public Betting Page for updated figures on the game.
Rice falls to Army
The Rice Owls dropped their season opener, 14-7 at Army. Rice was a big underdog coming in, so the Owls covered a 23.5-pint spread. The Owls have covered in four straight, dating back to last season. Rice went well under the 46.5-point total in the loss.
Last weekend’s game was not an offensive showcase. Each team was held under 300 yards of offense as Rice had 243 and Army had 284. The Owls really struggled in the pass game, throwing for just 62 yards on 14 attempts. Nashon Ellerbe led the Rice offense with 103 rushing yards and a touchdown on nine carries, but he left the game with an undisclosed injury and is questionable to play on Friday. Quarterback Wiley Green was just 7-of-14 passing for the 62 yards.
Wake Forest wins, doesn’t cover
Wake Forest opened its season with a 38-35 win over Utah State last weekend. The Demon Deacons were a 5-point favorite coming into the game, so they did fail cover while going over the 61-point total.
The offensive numbers in last week’s game were impressive, as Wake Forest had 579 total yards while Utah State had 596. Both teams passed for over 400 yards. The key to the game was Wake Forest had a 3-1 edge in the turnover battle and committed just one penalty. Jamie Newman threw for 401 yards and three touchdowns to lead the Demon Deacons while Sage Suratt caught seven passes for 158 yards and a score. Cade Carney added 105 rushing yards on 25 carries.
College Football Betting Trends
Rice
Rice is just 1-4 ATS in their last five against ACC opponents and 3-9 ATS in their last 12 home games.
Wake Forest
The Demon Deacons are just 5-11 against the spread in their last 16 games overall and 13-6 ATS in their last 19 road games.
Prediction:
Rice appears to not have much of an offense, which will be a problem against Wake Forest. The Owls were able to contain Army, but that’s a rather pedestrian offensive scheme. The Demon Deacons have a lot more options and balance. I think Wake can score at a pace that Rice just won’t be able to handle. It’s a big road spread to cover, but I like the Demon Deacons to take care of business tonight.
College Football Week 2 Prediction: Wake Forest -19.5
Related: Wake Forest vs. Rice Total Prediction