Make New York Post a Preferred Source SMU quarterback Kevin Jennings. IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect Nobody in August would have had Wake Forest vs. SMU pegged as one of the most important games of the college football season, but alas, that’s where this crazy season has taken us.
The winner of this game will keep its ACC Championship and College Football Playoff hopes alive. The loser will almost certainly be eliminated from both chases.
SMU is a 1.5-point favorite over No. 11 Wake Forest at Gerald J. Ford Stadium.
The Mustangs are a legitimate contender for the ACC Championship, but they’ve also been underwhelming this season. A 10-point loss to Louisville on the road is certainly forgivable, but the rest of the Pony Express’ resume is littered with head-scratchers.
Not only did SMU lose to Syracuse, but it was taken into the deep end of the pool by Missouri State, was out-gained by Boston College and needed a last-minute field goal to get by Florida State.
Results are all that matter at the end of the day, and credit to SMU for winning seven of nine, but the inconsistency and lack of discipline have to be maddening for Mustangs fans, especially since they’re getting strong play from quarterback Kevin Jennings.
Jake Dickert’s Demon Deacons are terrific on both sides of the ball, but the offense has been electric for the entire season.
Wake Forest ranks fourth in FBS in points per game (43.3), sixth in yards per play (6.8) and fifth in yards per pass (9.5). Quarterback Gio Lopez has been the picture of consistency, completing 67.1 percent of his passes for 2,176 yards, and 18 touchdowns against one interception.
Lopez is also a threat on the ground, adding 317 yards and six touchdowns on 77 carries.
And the Demon Deacons aren’t a one-trick pony. The defense has also been stellar and currently projects as the 23rd-best unit in the country, per SP+.
The oddsmakers project this game to be a coin flip with SMU getting a nod for home-field advantage, but only one of these teams has proven it can be trusted.
That team is the surprising Wake Forest Demon Deacons.
The Play: Wake Forest +1.5 (-110, DraftKings)
Michael Leboff is a long-suffering Islanders fan, but a long-profiting sports bettor with 10 years of experience in the gambling industry. He loves using game theory to help punters win bracket pools, find long shots, and learn how to beat the market in mainstream and niche sports.
