#14 Wake Forest (6-1, 4-1) is right in the mix for its first-ever College Football Playoff berth. The Demon Deacons are deep, wielding play makers on both sides of the ball. Conference rival Virginia (4-4, 2-3) will be hoping to play spoiler on the road this afternoon. If the Cavaliers are going to earn the right to a bowl game, Saturday’s contest is crucial. Can the Hoos pull off a massive upset this weekend in Winston-Salem?
The Demon Deacons are listed as 12.5-point favorites over the Cavaliers, with the total set at O/U 49.5 points. Below is my full preview, prediction and best bet for Saturday’s Virginia vs. Wake Forest Week 9 matchup.
Virginia vs. Wake Forest prediction, preview
Things have gone south in Charlottesville as of late. The Cavaliers have dropped three of their last four games, going from fringe ACC contender to afterthought. Even the team’s lone win wasn’t very impressive, a 28-25 victory at home vs. middling Syracuse. Offense has been the biggest issue for the Hoos, struggling to move the ball over the past month. Quarterback Beau Pribula hasn’t been asked to do much, throwing for less than 200 yards in each of his previous four appearances. On the ground, the Cavaliers are averaging the sixth-fewest yards per rush attempt in the conference (3.88).
UVA will need to turn things around in a hurry if it wants to keep this one close. The Demon Deacons are a force on defense, holding opponents to an ACC-best 4.59 yards per play. Teams are only gaining a meager 2.85 yards per rush attempt when facing Wake Forest’s formidable defensive front. Langston Hardy has been a standout at linebacker, racking up a conference-leading 11.5 tackles for loss and 5.5 sacks. The Deacons come into this one with momentum as well, allowing 24 total points over their last three games.
On the other side of the ball, Wake Forest has gotten a boost under center from Gio Lopez. The North Carolina transfer is a game-changer, already emerging as one of the nation’s top dual-threat quarterbacks. Through seven games, the junior has thrown for 1.947 yards, 17 touchdowns and just one interception. On the ground, he’s racked up 253 yards and six scores. Running backs Ty Clark and Deuce Lawrence have combined for 635 rushing yards and seven touchdowns as well. Wide receiver Carlos Hernandez also deserves a mention, having snagged 49 catches for 720 yards and four TDs.
In spite of their middling offense, the Cavaliers have held their own defensively. This group is giving up 326.6 yards and 19.6 points per game, seventh and fourth-best in the ACC respectively. The Hoos aren’t great on the ground, allowing just over four yards per rush attempt. However, Virginia has made up for it with an excellent secondary. Opposing quarterbacks are averaging just 6.5 yards per pass attempt. In addition, UVA has managed to reel in eight interceptions. Still, that won’t be easy against a signal caller that avoids sloppy mistakes such as Lopez.
Best Bet: Wake Forest -12.5 (-112)
Virginia has looked non-competitive for most of the past month. A road trip to Winston-Salem doesn’t seem like an ideal spot to turn things around. In comparison, Wake Forest has been perfect aside from a loss to #1 Miami. A well-rounded Demon Deacons roster should defend its home turf with a double-digit win on Saturday.
