Wake Forest Demon Deacons vs Mississippi State Bulldogs Prediction, 1/2/2025 College Football Picks, Best Bets & Odds

Game: Wake Forest Demon Deacons vs Mississippi State Bulldogs

Date: Friday, January 2, 2026

Location: Bank of America Stadium in Charlotte, NC

TV: ESPN

Odds/Point Spread: Bulldogs (-4.0)

Total/Over-Under: 56.5

The Wake Forest Demon Deacons (8-4) are on their way to Bank of America Stadium on Friday, January 2, 2026 where they will take on the Mississippi State Bulldogs (5-7) in the Duke's Mayo Bowl. Wake Forest opens this contest as 4.0-point underdogs. The betting total comes in at 56.5.

The Wake Forest Demon Deacons come into this matchup with a record of 8-4 for this year. In their last contest, the Demon Deacons stepped onto the field against the Duke Blue Devils and took a loss by a final of 49-32. The Wake Forest Demon Deacons ended up running the ball 32 times and totaled 126 yds, which came out to an average of 3.9 yards per tote. When all was said and done, they tallied 75 plays which gave them 468 yards. Wake Forest relinquished 24 completions on 35 attempts for a total of 268 yards, and a completion rate of 68.6%. On the ground, the Demon Deacons conceded 110 yds on 39 attempts, which is an average of 2.8 yds per run surrendered.

The Demon Deacons have earned 4,669 total yards for the year. When it comes to getting the ball in the endzone, Wake Forest has earned 16 touchdowns via the pass and 22 touchdowns via the ground. They have surrendered the football 20 times. Wake Forest has compiled 224 1st downs offensively, and they have been called for 88 infractions for 827 yards. As a team they hold an average of 156.8 yards rushing which has them sitting 71st in D-1. When it comes to putting points on the board, the Wake Forest Demon Deacons have an average of 26.8 PPG.

In terms of yards through the air, the Demon Deacons have allowed 2,396 yards which ranks them 31st in the country. They have conceded 199.7 yards per contest via the pass and conceding a completion percentage of 59.2%. Over the course of this year, they are conceding 321.9 yards per outing which has them ranked 26th in Division 1. They have given up 11 touchdowns through the air in addition to 17 touchdowns running the ball. They are allowing 3.5 yards per running attempt and 122.3 rushing yards per game this season. For the season, they have given up 1,468 running yards through 12 games. The Demon Deacons sit in 39th in college football when it comes to team defense, giving up 21.5 points per game.

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The Bulldogs head into this matchup 5-7 this season. In their last game, the Bulldogs went home defeated by a final of 38-19 when they played the Ole Miss Rebels. Mississippi State rushed the football for 6.1 yards per tote, totaling 262 yds on 43 carries. The Bulldogs finished with 440 yards on 74 plays (5.9 yds per play). The Bulldogs passing defense gave up a completion percentage of 67.6%, surrendering 359 yards on 23 out of 34 through the air. Mississippi State gave up 41 rushing attempts for 186 yds (4.5 yds per rush).

In terms of their ability to score points, the Bulldogs sit 44th in Division 1 maintaining an average of 30.5 points per contest. The Mississippi State Bulldogs hold an average of 398.4 yards/outing, which has them sitting 58th in D-1. The Mississippi State offense has 740 yards of penalties on 88 infractions, which ranks them 26th in Division 1 in terms of helping out the other team. They have given away 10 picks while letting opponents recover 6 fumbles and they have been able to obtain 265 first downs. During this campaign so far, the Bulldogs have compiled 2,842 passing yards as well as an average of 236.8 passing yards per game, which has them ranked 59th in the nation. They average 161.7 yards per game via the rush and have run for 1,940 yards for the year.

Mississippi State has allowed a total of 2,274 yards via the ground game (189.5 yards/game) and 17 touchdowns by way of the ground game on the year. They have allowed 22 touchdowns through the air in addition to 216.3 yards/contest, which puts them in 61st in the nation. This year, they have given up 350 pts. They have earned 5 fumbles and 12 picks for the year. The Bulldogs defense has been on the field for 826 plays, which is 82nd in the country. The Bulldogs are giving up 29.2 PPG, which has them 97th in the country.

Who will win tonight's Demon Deacons/Bulldogs college football game against the spread?

Josh's Pick: Take the Demon Deacons +4.0

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