Wake Forest walks into a noon kickoff on Saturday, September 26, 2026 as a 13-point road underdog at Louisville. The matchup pits one of the ACC’s most explosive offenses against one of its most productive passers. The Cardinals are 2-1 and ranked after beating two ranked opponents in three weeks. The Demon Deacons are also 2-1, but arrive off a loss and with a quarterback who spent the week on the availability report. There is a real case for the favorite, and a reason the market has not run away from the dog.
Last Updated: Saturday, September 26, 2026
Wake Forest vs. Louisville — Time & How to Watch
| Where | L&N Federal Credit Union Stadium, Louisville KY |
| When | Saturday, September 26 – 12:00 PM ET |
| TV | ESPN |
Wake Forest vs. Louisville Betting Preview
Louisville is 2-1 overall and 1-0 in the ACC, and the Cardinals earned their ranking the hard way. They lost 41-38 to Ole Miss, buried Villanova 59-13, then beat SMU 41-31. Jeff Brohm’s offense averages 46.0 points and 515.3 yards per game, both 12th nationally. Louisville also has not turned the ball over once, one of only six FBS teams that can say that.
The other side of the ball is a different story. The Cardinals allow 406.7 yards and 28.3 points per game, 110th and 108th nationally, and have given up four plays of 40 or more yards. Quarterback Lincoln Kienholz threw for 300-plus yards in each of his first two starts. Running back Keyjuan Brown averages 12.8 yards per carry, best in FBS among players with 10 or more attempts.
Wake Forest is also 2-1, though 0-1 in league play. Jake Dickert’s team handled Akron 38-16, survived Purdue 38-36 in double overtime, then lost 33-20 at Miami. Quarterback Gio Lopez, a North Carolina transfer, averages 325.3 passing yards per game, ninth nationally, with seven touchdowns against one interception. Lopez opened the week questionable and was upgraded to probable, with Dickert saying he practiced well and would be ready. Receiver Ny Carr is out. For Louisville, defensive back Antonio Watts is not expected to play and cornerback Tayon Holloway is questionable.
Wake Forest vs. Louisville Odds
| Spread | Moneyline | Total | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Wake Forest | +13 (-115) | +390 | U 57 (-110) |
| Louisville | -13 (-105) | -550 | O 57 (-110) |
Odds accurate as of Saturday, September 26, 2026 via TheSpread.com. Odds change, get the latest NCAAF Odds – Futures – Props
Wake Forest vs. Louisville — Who Is the Public Betting?
| Wake Forest | 53% | 47% | Louisville |
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Wake Forest vs. Louisville Prediction — Is the Home Favorite Getting Too Much Respect?
Start with the movement. This number opened at Louisville -12.5 and has ticked to -13, while the moneyline stretched from -510 to -550. That is a modest move toward the Cardinals, and it came with spread tickets close to even at 53 percent on the road side. When a favorite climbs through a number without lopsided ticket volume behind it, the move usually reflects sharper positions.
The case for Louisville is easy to build. The offense ranks 12th nationally in both scoring and yardage, the turnover margin has been pristine, and Brown’s efficiency forces defenses to cover width and depth at once. Wake Forest’s line has struggled in pass protection and the Demon Deacons have drawn 28 flags for 287 yards. Against an offense this explosive, drive-killing penalties compound quickly.
The case against laying 13 is the Louisville defense. A unit ranked 108th in scoring gives a capable quarterback room to keep pace, and Lopez has been among the country’s most productive passers. Wake Forest has the receivers to test a secondary missing Watts, with Carlos Hernandez in the slot and former Louisville receiver Antonio Meeks stretching the field. Add a noon kickoff after an emotional ranked win, a spot Brohm flagged publicly, and the number reads generous. If Lopez is limited by the hits he took at Miami, though, this can get away quickly.
The Pick: Wake Forest +13 (-115)
Wake Forest vs. Louisville Prediction — Will Two Productive Passing Games Clear the Number?
The total opened at 58 and has settled at 57, a one-point trim that argues for patience rather than panic. The scoring profile is still loud. All three Louisville games produced at least 72 combined points: 79 against Ole Miss, 72 against Villanova and 72 against SMU. A team scoring 46.0 while allowing 28.3 fits the shootout profile.
Wake Forest supplies the other half. Lopez is ninth nationally in passing yards per game, and the Demon Deacons scored 38 in each of their first two games before Miami held them to 20. That Miami result is the honest counterargument. If Louisville builds a lead and leans on Brown to drain the clock, the second half slows. The cleaner read is that a defense ranked 110th in yardage allowed does not choose the pace.
The Pick: Over 57 (-110)
Final Thoughts and Bonus Angle
The series offers little comfort for the visitors. Louisville leads 7-3 all-time and won the most recent meeting 48-21 in October 2022. Both teams are penalized heavily, Louisville at 27 flags for 282 yards and Wake Forest at 28 for 287, so hidden yardage may decide whether the dog stays inside the number. For more conference context, see our recent ACC prediction coverage and our latest college football picks coverage.
The bonus angle sits on the moneyline. Wake Forest at +390 implies roughly 20.4 percent, a reasonable ask for a team with a top-10 passer facing a defense outside the top 100 in yards and points allowed. The risk is plain. Louisville has been the better team per snap all month, and an outright upset likely requires the Cardinals to turn it over after three clean games. Treat it as a small-stakes swing.
The Bonus Pick: Wake Forest moneyline (+390)
To recap all three positions: Wake Forest +13 (-115), Over 57 (-110), and Wake Forest moneyline (+390) as the small-stakes bonus. The first two are the primary plays. If Lopez is limited or exits early, every angle here weakens at once. That is the one factor to monitor before kickoff. Current AP Top 25 rankings place Louisville 16th, with Wake Forest unranked.
NCAAF Wake Forest vs. Louisville FAQ: Saturday September 26, 2026
What time does the Wake Forest vs. Louisville game start?
Kickoff is set for 12:00 PM ET on Saturday, September 26, 2026. The Atlantic Coast Conference confirmed the noon ET window when it released its Week 4 football times, and both athletic departments list the same start time on their published schedules.
What channel is the Wake Forest vs. Louisville game on?
The game is scheduled to air on ESPN. The conference initially listed the window as ESPN, ESPN2 or ACC Network pending the September 19 results, and the final designation landed on ESPN. Local Louisville outlets and national preview coverage have both reported the ESPN assignment for the noon kickoff.
Where are Wake Forest and Louisville playing?
The game is at L&N Federal Credit Union Stadium in Louisville, Kentucky, the Cardinals’ on-campus home venue. This is a standard conference road game for Wake Forest rather than a neutral-site event, so Louisville holds true home-field advantage in the matchup.
Who won the last meeting between Wake Forest and Louisville?
Louisville won the last meeting 48-21 on October 29, 2022, and the programs have not played since. Louisville also leads the all-time series 7-3, with the first meeting coming in the 2007 Orange Bowl. Saturday marks the 11th football meeting between the two schools.
Who is starting at quarterback for Wake Forest and Louisville?
Gio Lopez is Wake Forest’s starter and Lincoln Kienholz starts for Louisville. Lopez, a North Carolina transfer, is averaging 325.3 passing yards per game with seven touchdowns and one interception. Kienholz has thrown for more than 300 yards in each of his first two starts this season.