Pittsburgh vs Wake Forest: Can Pittsburgh Bring Its Momentum Into Wake Forest

The Pittsburgh Panthers are riding high after their massive home upset against the previously undefeated Louisville Cardinals team.

They’ll look to bring that momentum with them on the road against the Wake Forest Demon Deacons.

The Demon Deacons aren’t feeling those same highs as the Panthers. They’ve lost three straight games. Wake Forest decided to start a new quarterback last week, and when the new quarterback got injured, they were thrown into the same mess that they had already been in with Mitch Griffis.

Although Wake Forest is home, is Pittsburgh’s momentum real?

Read our Pittsburgh vs Wake Forest preview forSaturday’s ACC game on the ACC Network.

The Move To Christian Veilleux Worked

Before Pittsburgh’s game against Louisville last weekend, Pittsburgh announced it would be changing quarterbacks from Phil Jurkovec to Christian Veilleux.

He didn’t have the best game ever in his first start of the season. But he threw two touchdowns and no interceptions, holding a QBR of 70 against a stacked Louisville defense.

When you win the turnover battle, you’ve got a high probability of winning the game. Veilleux only completed 12-of-26 from the field but gave up no interceptions, while the defenses added two.

The quarterback change essentially gave Pittsburgh new life. Jurkovec came from Boston College as a highly regarded transfer quarterback. But like in Boston College, he struggled to get anything going offensively this season for Pittsburgh.

Jurkovec is now listed as the third-string quarterback behind redshirt sophomore Nate Yarnell. Initially, Jurkovec would change to tight end, but he probably won’t be able to learn the position in time for this season.

Veilleux is only a sophomore. Therefore, Pittsburgh fans hope he can be the one moving forward. Veilleuz won’t be the next Kenny Pickett. But more reps could enhance his game and make him a mid-tier quarterback in the conference by next season.

Who Will Start At QB For Wake Forest?

Michael Kern got his first start with Wake Forest, replacing Mitch Griffis as the starter for the Demon Deacons. He went 14-for-22 with no touchdowns or interceptions but had 166 yards passing.

However, Kern was injured on a brutal sack, eventually giving the quarterback keys back to former starter Mitch Griffis.

According to Les Johns from Demon Deacons Digest, Griffis will be the No. 1 quarterback heading into this game against Pittsburgh. Kern will be unavailable due to that injury sustained last weekend in the fourth quarter.

Griffis hasn’t earned more than 180 yards passing or a 60% completion percentage during Wake Forest’s three-game losing streak. He began the season much more confidently. But now things have taken a turn.

The fan base can only hope his three-quarter benching last week will wake Griffis up and get him playing at a higher level.

Neither quarterback has shown much of anything throughout the season. The Demon Deacons were hoping Sam Hartman would return at quarterback. But when he left, Wake Forest was left with these two options.

Let’s look at Pittsburgh vs Wake Forest odds for the ACC Network matchup.

Pittsburgh vs Wake Forest Odds

The Wake Forest Demon Deacons are -1 (-115) against the spread at home versus the Pittsburgh Panthers. Meanwhile, the total is at 46.5 flat.

Pittsburgh covered against Louisville, thanks to a 38-21 outright win as seven-point underdogs. However, Pittsburgh is now just 1-4-1 against the spread this season.

Meanwhile, the total has hit the Over in five of six games. The Over has hit in three straight Pittsburgh games against ACC opponents, including North Carolina, Virginia Tech, and Louisville.

On the other hand, Wake Forest is 2-4 against the spread. As 1-point underdogs, Wake Forest just lost to Virginia Tech, 30-13. The Over has only hit once in the Demon Deacons’ last ten games, dating back to last year. It hasn’t hit at all this season.

Wake Forest and Pittsburgh have had two meetings dating back to 2018. Pittsburgh won both as slight favorites in both of those games. This time, Wake Forest is the favorite.

Which Quarterback Can You Trust More?

The Wake Forest Demon Deacons practically showed they’ve given up on Mitch Griffis. He’s added nine touchdowns in the air but also has six interceptions this season. Last week, he was benched for Michael Kern, but because Kern is hurt, Griffis will get another chance as the starter.

They’ve added 370.2 yards per game. However, over 140 of those yards have come on the ground. Wake Forest has a solid running game behind Demond Claiborne. He’s added three touchdowns on 85 carries and has averaged 4.4 yards per attempt.

On the other hand, Pittsburgh will ride with Christian Veilleux, who added two touchdowns and no interceptions against an excellent Louisville defense in the rain. The completion percentage wasn’t high, but maybe the weather had something to do with that. You’d have to imagine that Veilleux and Pittsburgh are feeling good about last week’s win. He’s the guy that Pittsburgh wants at quarterback.

Meanwhile, Wake Forest would rather have Kern.

Wake Forest Has The Stronger Defense

We won’t see Wake Forest or Pittsburgh in the top of the NCAAF standings this season. But both teams are still fighting for a bowl opportunity. That’s always special.

Wake Forest might not have the better offense, but the Demon Deacons undoubtedly have the better defense. They’ve held teams to 359 yards per game, including only 228 yards in the air. The secondary has done great in coverage, and the pass rush has done enough to be successful. They’ve also stood out against the run despite allowing 131 yards per game on the ground.

But Pittsburgh’s got enough talent to play defense just as well, knowing how poorly Wake Forest will move the football. Therefore, our college football picks against the spread will be Pittsburgh at +1. If you’re brave, take the moneyline at even odds.

For NCAAF betting news, odds analysis, and more, visit Point Spreads Sports Magazine.

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