No. 5 Notre Dame extended its winning run to four games with a relatively easy 42-30 victory over the Pittsburgh Panthers on Saturday. The Fighting Irish will look to sustain the momentum of that huge win when they take on the Wake Forest Demon Deacons in a marquee clash at Notre Dame Stadium this coming weekend.
Who will emerge victorious in this blockbuster showdown? Read on below for an in-depth breakdown of this college football matchup and while you’re at it, you can check out our previews of No. 15 Michigan vs. Indiana and No. 3 Alabama vs. No. 20 Mississippi State.
[sc:NCAAFArticles ]Wake Forest Demon Deacons vs. Notre Dame Fighting Irish Preview
Where: Notre Dame Stadium, Notre Dame
When: Saturday, November 14, 3:30 PM ET
Line: Wake Forest Demon Deacons (+27.5) at Notre Dame Fighting Irish (-27.5) – view all NCAA Football lines
TV Broadcast: NBC
Betting on the Wake Forest Demon Deacons (3-6, 1-5 ACC)
Wake Forest’s losing woes show no sign of abating as the Demon Deacons crashed to their third consecutive defeat with a gut-wrenching 20-19 loss to Louisville on Friday. The Leopards simply had no answer for Louisville quarterback Lamar Jackson who threw two touchdown passes on the night. It was a disappointing result for the Demon Deacons who have now lost five of their last six games.
[sc:NCAA240banner ]It’s back to the drawing board then for head coach Dave Clawson and the rest of the struggling Demon Deacons. For Wake Forest to snap its losing skid against Notre Dame this coming weekend, it needs to take much better care of the football. Turnovers doomed Wake Forest in its defeat to Louisville, with the Demon Deacons committing a whopping five turnovers in the second half of that contest.
It’s also crucial for Wake Forest that quarterback John Wolford step up his play against Notre Dame. He completed just 6-of-18 passes for 131 yards and a touchdown with three costly interceptions in the loss to Louisville. He’s averaging just 142.9 passing yards per game this season, good for 96th in the FBS. Wolford will have his hands full against a Notre Dame secondary that’s allowing just 196.9 yards per game through the air this season, 38th in the entire FBS.
The Demon Deacons are 2-2 SU and 1-3 ATS on the road this season.
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Betting on the Notre Dame Fighting Irish (8-1)
Notre Dame bolstered its College Football Playoff resume with a convincing 42-30 victory over Pittsburgh on Saturday. DeShone Kizer threw for five touchdowns and ran for another to lead the Irish to their fourth consecutive win.
The Irish will look to keep the momentum going this coming Saturday when they face the Wake Forest Demon Deacons. For Notre Dame to grab the important victory, it needs to continue its excellent play in the red zone area. In four trips to the red zone against Pitt, the Irish were able to collect a total of four touchdowns. With that performance, Notre Dame climbed to 58th (tied with Georgia Southern) in the nation in red-zone touchdown rate (62.2 percent).
The Irish will need that same kind of red-zone efficiency for them to unlock a Wake Forest defense that’s allowing just 23.0 points per game this season, 40th in the entire FBS. The onus then is on Kizer and wide receiver Will Fuller to get Notre Dame’s passing game going quickly this coming weekend. Fuller caught seven passes for 157 yards and three scores in the win over Pittsburgh. His three touchdowns gave him 12 on the season and 28 for his career, the second-highest in school history next to Michael Floyd’s 37.
Also providing a star turn in this ballgame was running back Josh Adams. He stepped up big time in the absence of C.J. Prosise, running for 147 yards in the game against Pitt. He also provided the insurance points in this matchup, hauling in Kizer’s final touchdown pass. With Prosise’s status for the game against Wake Forest still uncertain, head coach Brian Kelly may have to rely on his freshman once again. Considering Adams’ performance against Pitt (7.3 yards per carry), that may not be such a bad thing.
The Fighting Irish are 5-0 SU and ATS at home this season.
Writer’s Prediction
Notre Dame wins but Wake Forest (+27.5) covers.
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