Wake Forest Demon Deacons vs California Golden Bears Prediction, 10/17/2026 College Football Picks, Best Bets & Odds

Game: Wake Forest Demon Deacons vs California Golden Bears

Date: Saturday, October 17, 2026

Location: California Memorial Stadium in Berkeley, CA

TV: ESPN2

Odds/Point Spread: Golden Bears (+9.5)

Total/Over-Under: 52.5

California Memorial Stadium is the location where the California Golden Bears (3-3) will play the Wake Forest Demon Deacons (5-1) on Saturday, October 17, 2026. California opens this game as 9.5-point dogs from Vegas oddsmakers. The over/under is set at 52.5.

The Wake Forest Demon Deacons head into this game 5-1 for this year. In their last matchup, the Demon Deacons went up against the NC State Wolfpack and took home the win by a score of 38-14. On the day, they ran 69 plays which converted into 387 yds. The Wake Forest Demon Deacons ended up running the ball 36 different times and recorded 84 yds, earning them an average of 2.3 yards per attempt. In the running game, the Demon Deacons conceded 15 yds on 24 tries, which calculates to 0.6 yards per run allowed. Wake Forest relinquished 29 pass completions on 40 tries for a total of 243 yds, and a completion rate of 72.5%.

Concerning getting in the endzone, the Wake Forest Demon Deacons are averaging 36.8 points per contest. As a team they're holding an average of 144.8 yards in the run game giving them a rank of 84th in D-1. The Demon Deacons have earned 2,612 total yards for the year. In terms of getting in the endzone, Wake Forest has totaled 13 touchdowns via the pass and 14 rushing touchdowns. Wake Forest has accumulated 133 first downs as a team, and they have been called for 52 penalties for 479 yds. They have given the ball to the opposition 3 different times.

When it comes to yards through the air, the Demon Deacons have allowed 1,420 yards which ranks them 111th in the country. They are allowing 236.7 yards per contest via the pass as well as conceding a completion percentage of 76.6%. For the season, they have allowed 332.0 yards per outing which ranks them 50th in college football. They have allowed 9 touchdowns by air as well as 6 touchdowns running the ball. They are giving up an average of 2.8 yards per rushing attempt and 95.3 yards on the ground per game for the season. During this campaign, they have allowed 572 running yards through 6 games. The Demon Deacons are ranked 51st in D-1 when it comes to the opposition scoring, allowing 21.5 points per contest.

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The Golden Bears head into this game 3-3 for this season. The last time they took the field, the Golden Bears took a loss by a score of 39-31 when they faced the UNLV Rebels. California conceded 38 attempts on the ground for 173 yards (4.6 yds per rush). The Golden Bears pass defense allowed a completion rate of 47.8%, relinquishing 172 yards on 11 out of 23 passing. The Golden Bears finished the contest with a total of 464 yds while running 83 plays (5.6 yards per play). California ran the ball for 2.9 yds per carry, finishing with 69 yds on 24 attempts.

The California Golden Bears average 397.2 yards per game, which has them ranked 68th in college football. The California offense has racked up 538 yds of penalties on 57 infractions, ranking them 2nd in the nation in terms of making mistakes. They maintain an average of 92.8 yards per game on the ground and have run for 557 yards for this season. They have given away 5 picks while losing 3 fumbles and they have been able to obtain 125 first downs. Regarding their ability to score points, the Golden Bears sit 86th in the nation averaging 26.7 points per contest. Over the course of the season thus far, the Golden Bears currently have a total of 1,826 yards via the pass as well as an average of 304.3 passing yards per outing, which has them ranked 14th in the country.

California has conceded a total of 1,050 yards via the ground game (175.0 yards per contest) and 13 touchdowns by way of the ground game on the year. They have conceded 6 touchdowns from the passing game in addition to 192.5 yards per game, which has them sitting 47th in Division 1. This season, they have conceded 153 total points. Their defense has earned 2 fumbles recovered and 7 picks on the year. The Golden Bears defense has taken part in 394 plays, which is good for 108th in Division 1. The Golden Bears are surrendering 25.5 PPG, which puts them 86th in the nation.

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

Tony's Pick: Take the Demon Deacons -9.5

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