Wake Forest Demon Deacons vs Louisville Cardinals Prediction, 9/26/2026 College Football Picks, Best Bets & Odds

Game: Wake Forest Demon Deacons vs Louisville Cardinals

Date: Saturday, September 26, 2026

Location: L&N Federal Credit Union Stadium in Louisville, KY

TV: ESPN

Odds/Point Spread: Cardinals (-13.5)

Total/Over-Under: 58

The Wake Forest Demon Deacons (2-1) are on their way to L&N Federal Credit Union Stadium on Saturday, September 26, 2026 where they will take on the Louisville Cardinals (2-1). Louisville opens as 13.5-point favorites. The over/under is set at 58.

The Wake Forest Demon Deacons come into this game with a record of 2-1 for this season. In their last game, the Demon Deacons took the field against the Miami Hurricanes and walked away from this one with a loss by a score of 33-20. On the day, they had 62 plays which converted into 334 yds. The Wake Forest Demon Deacons ran the football 16 different times and had 22 yards, which came out to an average of 1.4 yards per carry. When it came to the battle of the line of scrimmage, the Demon Deacons conceded 158 yards on 34 attempts, which averages out to 4.6 yds per run allowed. Wake Forest allowed 30 pass completions on 34 attempts for 220 yards, and a completion percentage of 88.2%.

Regarding getting in the endzone, the Wake Forest Demon Deacons have an average of 32.0 points per contest. As a team they're averaging 137.0 yards on the ground which has them sitting 102nd in the nation. The Demon Deacons have attained 1,304 total yards this season. When it comes to scoring touchdowns, Wake Forest has compiled 7 passing touchdowns and 4 touchdowns via the ground. Wake Forest has a total of 65 1st downs as an offense, and they have committed 28 penalties for 287 yds. They have surrendered the football 1 time.

The Demon Deacons are ranked 108th in D-1 in terms of the opposition scoring, allowing 28.3 points per game. They are allowing teams to run for an average of 3.9 yards per run and 144.3 rushing yards per contest for the campaign. During the season, they have given up 433 rushing yards through 3 outings. When talking about passing yards, the Demon Deacons have given up 705 yds which puts them in 102nd in college football. They have yielded 235.0 yards per game via the pass and giving up a completion percentage of 82.6%. During the season, they have relinquished 379.3 yards per outing which ranks them 99th in the nation. They have yielded 6 touchdowns via the pass in addition to 4 touchdowns on the ground.

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The Cardinals head into this matchup 2-1 for this year. In their last game, the Cardinals walked away with a victory by a final of 41-31 against the SMU Mustangs. Louisville rushed for 7.2 yards per attempt, totaling 265 yds on 37 carries. The Cardinals finished the game with a total of 442 yds while they ran 60 plays (7.4 yds per play). The Cardinals pass defense conceded a completion rate of 68.6%, relinquishing 222 yds on 24 out of 35 passing. Louisville surrendered 45 rushing attempts for 257 yds (5.7 yds per rush).

Concerning their scoring prowess, the Cardinals sit 12th in the country scoring 46.0 points per game. The Louisville Cardinals average 515.3 yards per game, which ranks them 12th in the nation. The Louisville offense has totaled 282 yds of penalties on 27 infractions, ranking them 14th in the country in terms of making mistakes. They have tossed no picks while allowing opponents to recover no fumbles and they have been able to obtain 71 1st downs. For the year so far, the Cardinals have thrown for a total of 859 yards through the air as well as holding an average of 286.3 passing yards per contest, ranking them 29th in D-1. They have an average of 229.0 run yards per game and have toted the ball for 687 yards in total.

The Cardinals are giving up 28.3 PPG, which has them sitting 110th in college football. Louisville has conceded a total of 484 yards on the ground (161.3 yards per game) and 5 touchdowns via the rush so far this year. They have given up 5 touchdowns from the passing game and 245.3 yards per outing, which has them sitting 113th in college football. The Cardinals defense has participated in 220 plays, which is good for 124th in the country. Their defense has compiled 3 fumbles recovered and 3 picks so far this season. This season, they have surrendered 85 total points.

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

Tony's Pick: Take the Cardinals -13.5

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