Virginia vs. Wake Forest Prediction, Odds and Key Players to Watch for College Football Week 9

The No. 14 ranked Wake Forest Demon Deacons host the Virginia Cavaliers in an ACC clash on Saturday afternoon.

Wake Forest has been quite impressive in recent weeks. Following an expected loss against Miami, the Demon Deacons upset Louisville on the road and then covered the spread in three blowout wins.

On the other hand, Virginia has lost two games in a row, including a slight upset loss to Duke at home last week.

Wake Forest beat Virginia 16-9 last November.

Let’s take a look at the odds, players to watch and my prediction for this Week 9 matchup.

Odds via DraftKings Sportsbook

Gio Lopez is off to a strong start in his first season at Wake Forest. He threw for 1,747 yards with UNC last season, and is already up to 1,947 passing yards this year. That ranks him 18th in the nation in that category.

The junior quarterback is also tied for the 13th-most passing touchdowns with 17, and has thrown just one interception. That has helped him to an 84.9 QBR, seventh-best in college football.

Lopez threw for 267 yards and four touchdowns last week, and will look to build on that at home against Virginia.

Virginia has struggled on the road this season, and I don’t expect that to change against Wake Forest. The Cavaliers lost 38-7 as slight favorites at Florida State to open the month, then lost by 10 at SMU a few weeks ago.

Meanwhile, Wake Forest beat Stamford 57-3 in its last home game a few weeks ago. After big road wins at NC State and California, I expect the Demon Deacons to return home with another blowout victory.

Pick: Wake Forest -12.5 (-110)

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Odds refresh periodically and are subject to change.

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