Akron Zips vs Wake Forest Demon Deacons Prediction, 9/3/2026 College Football Picks, Best Bets & Odds

Game: Akron Zips vs Wake Forest Demon Deacons

Date: Thursday, September 3, 2026

Location: Allegacy Federal Credit Union Stadium in Winston-Salem, NC

TV: ESPN+

Odds/Point Spread: Demon Deacons (-24.5)

Total/Over-Under: 48.5

The Wake Forest Demon Deacons (9-4 last year) will try to beat the Akron Zips (5-7 last season) at Allegacy Federal Credit Union Stadium on Thursday, September 3, 2026. Wake Forest opens this matchup as 24.5-point favorites. The over/under comes in at 48.5.

The Akron Zips finished the season with a 5-7 mark. In their last contest, the Zips took the field against the Bowling Green Falcons and notched a win by a score of 19-16. When the final whistle blew, they ran 65 plays which converted into 319 yards. The Akron Zips ran the ball a total of 37 different times and accounted for 143 yds, which earned them an average of 3.9 yards per carry. When it came to the battle of the line of scrimmage, the Zips gave up 134 yds on 45 attempts, which is 3.0 yds per rush allowed. Akron relinquished 9 completions on 26 tries for 138 yds, and a completion rate of 34.6%.

The Zips had 4,242 total yards for last year. Akron earned 20 touchdowns through the air and 10 touchdowns via the ground. They turned the ball over 17 different times. Akron compiled 240 1st downs as an offense, and they were called for 70 penalties for 550 yards. As a unit they averaged 134.5 yds on the ground, ranking them 94th in D-1. Regarding putting points on the board, the Akron Zips averaged 22.3 points per game.

In terms of yards via the pass, the Zips gave up 2,750 yards which ranked them 68th in Division 1. During their 12 games played last season, they conceded 229.2 yards per contest via the pass and surrendering a completion percentage of 60.1%. They gave up 384.4 yards per game ranking them 81st in the country. They allowed 20 passing touchdowns as well as 18 rushing touchdowns. They allowed an average of 4.3 yards per run and 155.3 rushing yards per contest last season. For the season, they gave up 1,864 yards via the ground game in 12 contests. The Zips sat in 84th in college football concerning the opposition scoring, allowing 27.4 points per game.

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The Demon Deacons wrapped up their year holding a 9-4 record. In their last game, the Demon Deacons took home the win by a final score of 43-29 when they played the Mississippi State Bulldogs. The Demon Deacons finished with a total of 451 yds while they ran 68 plays (6.6 yards per play). Wake Forest rushed the football for 4.2 yards per attempt, totaling 148 yds on 35 attempts. Wake Forest relinquished 42 run attempts for 114 yds (2.7 yards per carry). The Demon Deacons pass defense gave up a completion percentage of 59.3%, relinquishing 294 yards on 16 out of 27 passing.

Regarding their ability to score points, the Demon Deacons ranked 63rd in college football scoring 28.1 PPG. The Wake Forest Demon Deacons averaged 393.8 yards/outing, which had them sitting 63rd in Division 1. The Wake Forest offense compiled 904 yards of penalties on 96 infractions, which was good for 16th in the nation in terms of hurting your team. They gave away 10 interceptions while losing 10 fumbles and they recorded 247 1st downs. Last year, the Demon Deacons racked up 3,090 passing yards in addition to an average of 237.7 throwing yards per contest, which ranked 58th in the country. They averaged 156.2 yards per game via the rush and ran for 2,031 yards in total.

Wake Forest conceded a total of 1,581 yards rushing (121.6 yards per outing) in addition to 18 touchdowns on the ground last season. They conceded 12 touchdowns via the pass in addition to 206.9 yards per game, which had them ranked 46th in Division 1. Last year, they allowed 287 points in total. They totaled 10 fumbles and 4 interceptions over the course of last season. The Demon Deacons defense participated in 924 plays, which had them sitting 116th in D-1. The Demon Deacons gave up 22.1 PPG, which had them in 44th in Division 1.

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

Guy's Pick: Take the Demon Deacons -24.5

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