Akron opens its season on the road against a Wake Forest program that spent last winter rewriting expectations. The Demon Deacons are laying 25 points at home, a number that has climbed since the line first went up in May. The total has drifted the other way, which says plenty about how oddsmakers view a Zips offense that still has not named a quarterback. Both sides have a real argument, and our headline pick leans on the direction the market has moved all summer.
Last Updated: Thursday, September 3, 2026
Akron vs. Wake Forest — Time & How to Watch
| Where | Allegacy Financial Stadium, Winston-Salem NC |
| When | Thursday, September 3 – 7:00 PM ET |
| TV | ACC Network |
Akron vs. Wake Forest Betting Preview
This is the first meeting ever between the two programs. Both teams enter at 0-0, and neither appears in the preseason AP Top 25 or its others-receiving-votes list. Wake Forest plays in the ACC and Akron in the Mid-American Conference, making this a non-conference opener for both.
Wake Forest went 9-4 last season in Jake Dickert’s debut year and closed it with a Duke’s Mayo Bowl win over Mississippi State, well above a forecast that had the Deacons near the bottom of the 17-team ACC. The league’s media poll is only slightly warmer now, slotting Wake Forest 13th. Dickert has said the one thing he cannot recreate is last season’s hunger.
Gio Lopez arrives from North Carolina to run the offense, reuniting with coordinator Rob Ezell, under whom he threw for more than 2,500 yards and 18 touchdowns at South Alabama in 2024. He also has real running value against a defense with no film on him. Carlos Hernandez returns after a 611-yard receiving season, while Ty Clark III inherits the backfield role vacated by NFL departure Demond Claiborne. Defensively, Wake Forest brings back edge rusher Langston Hardy, linebacker Aiden Hall and safety Davaughn Patterson.
Akron’s situation is murkier. Joe Moorhead’s Zips finished 5-7 last season and added 41 new players this offseason. The quarterback job has not been settled publicly. Reese Poffenbarger, a sixth-year passer with stops at Old Dominion, Albany, Miami and North Texas, has led the competition, but his medical waiver has been pending and may not be resolved by kickoff. If he cannot go, redshirt freshman Braydon Roggow takes over. What Akron can count on is running back Jordan Gant, who ran for 1,032 yards last season to become the program’s first 1,000-yard rusher since 2008, and preseason All-MAC receiver Marcel Williams. The full slate is on the official Zips schedule release.
Akron vs. Wake Forest Odds
| Spread | Moneyline | Total | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Akron | +25 (-110) | +1100 | U 48.5 (-110) |
| Wake Forest | -25 (-110) | -2800 | O 48.5 (-110) |
Odds accurate as of Thursday, September 3, 2026 via TheSpread.com. Odds change, get the latest NCAAF Odds – Futures – Props
Akron vs. Wake Forest — Who Is the Public Betting?
| Akron | 59% | 41% | Wake Forest |
See the latest College Football Public Betting Splits and make smarter wagers!
Akron vs. Wake Forest Prediction — Will Demon Deacons Roll?
Start with the movement, because it is the cleanest signal on the board. This spread opened at 22.5 in late May and now sits at 25, yet 59 percent of spread tickets are on Akron. When the public leans one way and the line moves the other, that gap usually reflects sharper money on the opposite side. Akron’s quarterback uncertainty explains most of it.
The matchup reinforces it. Akron may have to protect a redshirt freshman making his first career start against a front featuring Hardy, who piled up seven sacks last season. If the Zips cannot stay ahead of the chains, Gant’s workload becomes a grind rather than a weapon. Wake Forest also has reason to look sharp, and Dickert has said his team is not saving anything for conference play. More on the ACC’s Thursday slate is in our Colorado vs Georgia Tech odds preview.
Still, the case against laying this many points is real. Wake Forest is breaking in a new quarterback, a new lead back and a rebuilt receiving room, and openers routinely produce sloppy football from teams in that spot. There is also the blowout paradox: build a big early lead, and the backups come in while the clock keeps running. That is how favorites win by 21 instead of 28. Anyone taking the points is betting on garbage time as much as on Akron.
The Pick: Wake Forest -25 (-110)
Akron vs. Wake Forest Prediction — Will Points be at a Premium?
The total tells a quieter story, but it points the same direction. This number opened at 49.5 and has ticked down to 48.5. Totals that fall while a spread rises usually reflect one belief: the underdog’s offense will not hold up its end. Continuity matters most in September, and Akron has very little of it.
Wake Forest’s own newness cuts the same way early. Lopez is learning a new receiving corps in live action, and a comfortable lead invites the ground game and reserve snaps late. The counter is straightforward: if Lopez and Ezell click quickly and Wake Forest reaches the mid-30s alone, Akron needs only a couple of scores to push this over. Gant can break a long run, and a special-teams score would change the math in a hurry.
The Pick: Under 48.5 (-110)
Final Thoughts and Bonus Angle
The moneyline offers nothing worth chasing. Akron at +1100 is a lottery ticket when the Zips may start a quarterback with three career appearances, and Wake Forest at -2800 asks for far too much risk. That price has shortened since it opened at -3500, which is the one wrinkle worth noting. It hints at slightly more respect for Akron than the spread move implies.
Our read is that the summer movement points to the favorite and the under. That said, this is the least predictable week of the college football calendar, and one turnover-heavy quarter can turn a two-score projection into a coin flip. Bettors who want the quarterback news first have a fair case for waiting. For how the market framed this game earlier in the week, see Akron vs Wake Forest Odds September 3: Demon Deacons Favored.
Picks recap: Wake Forest -25 (-110) and Under 48.5 (-110). No moneyline play.
NCAAF Akron vs. Wake Forest FAQ: Thursday September 3, 2026
What time does the Akron vs. Wake Forest game start?
Kickoff is set for 7:00 p.m. ET on Thursday, September 3, 2026. It is the season opener for both programs and one of several games kicking off in that window on the opening Thursday of the college football season.
What channel is the Akron vs. Wake Forest game on?
The game airs nationally on ACC Network. Wake Forest also carries the broadcast on its own radio network, with the local call available through the school’s flagship stations in the Winston-Salem market.
Where are Akron and Wake Forest playing?
The game is at Allegacy Financial Stadium in Winston-Salem, North Carolina, the home field of the Demon Deacons. Wake Forest is the home team, so this is a true road opener for Akron rather than a neutral-site event.
What conference are Akron and Wake Forest in?
Wake Forest plays in the Atlantic Coast Conference and Akron plays in the Mid-American Conference. That makes this a non-conference game with no standings implications for either league, though it does count toward both teams’ bowl-eligibility math.
Who won the last meeting between Akron and Wake Forest?
There is no last meeting. Thursday night is the first game ever played between the two programs, so there is no series history, no head-to-head trend and no revenge angle for either side to lean on in the buildup.