Wake Forest vs Virginia Tech Preview: Who’s Favored?

The ACC continues to deliver some intriguing matchups. This week, Wake Forest takes on Virginia Tech in Lane Stadium in Blacksburg, VA.

The Wake Forest Demon Deacons have lost two straight games in the ACC, including losses to Georgia Tech and Clemson. They’re now 3-2 on the season but 0-2 in conference play. The Demon Deacons will look for that first conference win against the Virginia Tech Hokies, who have lost four of their last five games.

However, Virginia Tech’s lone win in the last five games came against Pittsburgh, an ACC opponent.

How will Wake Forest fair on the road against Virginia Tech on Saturday?

Read about our Wake Forest vs Virginia Tech preview below.

Can Wake Forest Figure Out Its Offense Again?

It wasn’t going to be easy this year for Wake Forest.

Veteran quarterback Sam Hartman left the Demon Deacons for an opportunity with Notre Dame. Therefore, the Demon Deacons needed to change their game plan when he left.

The offense has averaged under 400 yards per game, with sophomore quarterback Mitch Griffis under center. Griffis has a QBR of 37.3 and just 1,150 yards passing in five games this year.

In their first two games against ACC opponents, Wake Forest has scored no more than 16 points in either game. Georgia Tech held the Demon Deacons to 16 points at home, while Clemson held Wake Forest to just 12 points on the road.

The offense is missing a quarterback. The rest of the offense has played exceptionally well. Even the offensive line has done some good things in the passing and running game.

Griffis will develop over time. But it’s likely in Wake Forest’s best interest to run the football more frequently. The Demon Deacons have averaged over 160 yards on the ground and should try and get to 200 against Virginia Tech.

Kyron Drones Starting to Build Confidence

Virginia Tech decided to roll with Grant Wells at quarterback to begin the season. Wells was the more established quarterback, who came out of Marshall with some big wins under his belt.

But once he got hurt, Kyron Drones took over and hasn’t looked back.

Drones haven’t been sensational. He won’t be winning any awards this season. But his QBR of 59.7 is respectable. He’s thrown four touchdowns and only made one mistake in the air. The sophomore quarterback has also run for at least 74 yards in three of his last four games.

The Hokies scored 21 against Pittsburgh and added another 17 points against Florida State on the road. The offense has improved, thanks to Drones.

Still, Virginia Tech doesn’t have a lot of reliable pieces around Drones. For example, the leading receiver on Virginia Tech only has 239 yards receiving in six games.

And while Bhayshul Tuten has rushed for 4.2 yards per game, he hasn’t been getting much help from the offensive line.

The quality of NCAAF players on this team is lacking compared to other ACC teams, But at least there’s growth for Virginia Tech.

Let’s look at the Wake Forest vs Virginia Tech preview and odds for Saturday’s ACC matchup.

Wake Forest vs Virginia Tech Preview

At home, Virginia Tech is a 1.5-point favorite against Wake Forest. Meanwhile, the total is at 48 for this game.

The Demon Deacons covered their last game against Florida State as 21-point underdogs. Wake Forest only lost 17-12 in an ugly offensive game. The Demon Deacons have gone 2-3 against the spread this season.

Meanwhile, the Over hasn’t hit in one game this year. Ironically enough, the total has pushed twice and gone Under the total in the other three games for Wake Forest this season. The three most recent games went under the total.

On the other hand, Virginia Tech is 3-3 against the spread. Last weekend, Virginia Tech earned a cover against the spread as a 24-point underdogs against Florida State. The Hokies have added back-to-back covers, while the total has hit Over in four of six games this season.

Virginia Tech used to rule this matchup. However, Wake Forest has won and covered in two of the last three games against Virginia Tech. The previous game between the two teams came in 2020.

The Demon Deacons Must Run The Football!

The Wake Forest offense isn’t all that bad. They don’t have a reliable quarterback because Sam Hartman left the team for his final season.

As discussed above, Mitch Griffis has been the weak point of the offense. But the run game has added 161.8 yards per game behind lead runner Demond Claiborne. He’s averaged 4.5 yards per carry and has scored three touchdowns on the ground.

Claiborne should get more carries in this game, especially since Virginia Tech has allowed 195 yards per game on the ground.

The Hokies are solid against the pass. Thanks to a quality pass rush, they’ve held teams to under 160 yards per game in the air. However, the run defense has been average at best. They’ll get pushed around by Wake Forest up front.

When those holes open up, the ground game will be lethal.

Don’t Sleep on Wake Forest’s Defense, Either!

Neither of these teams will rank highly in the college football standings this season. You also shouldn’t bother putting any more on either of these teams with their NCAAF Championship odds if they’re even out there.

Both teams have multiple losses, so the chances of making it into the College Football Playoff or winning the ACC are slim.

However, Wake Forest’s defense has played exceptionally well this season. Just look at their recent NCAA football scores. The defense has allowed only 338.4 yards per game, including 209.4 yards in the air and 129 yards on the ground. The Demon Deacons are brilliant in coverage and have a respectable pass rush.

But beyond that, Wake Forest has been excellent against the run. Part of that is because they’ve converted tackles at a high rate.

Virginia Tech doesn’t have a strong offensive line. While Drones has been good at quarterback, his passing still needs work, especially with accuracy.

With the offensive line breaking down multiple times, we’ll back Wake Forest to cover the +1.5 spread. You can back the moneyline around that +105 number if you’re brave.

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

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